When using the Internet, you must remember that it lacks any kind of quality control and it is not regulated in any way. The burden of determining the merit of information found on the Internet is on the user.
Is the site well researched and information properly cited? Are facts and statistics documented? Can the information be verified in other sources?
Is the document well written and constructed (grammar, spelling)? Can you identify the author/sponsor? Is there contact information provided? What are the qualifications or credentials of the author/sponsor? What is the institutional affiliation? Is copyright clearly stated where applicable? Are the goals/aims of the author/sponsor presenting the material clearly stated? Are there biases in the document? Where is the web site? gov, edu, .org? com?
If the site is interactive, are you informed about how any information you give will be used? When was the site last updated? Are the links also up-to-date? How does the information compare with other sources available on the topic? What is the reading level of the material?
Are there references or links to more information?Because of the unpredictable quality of resources on the Internet, many librarians have published tutorials to help you evaluate web site information.
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