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.
Consider the following:
Criteria for Evaluating Web Resources
- Accuracy
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)?
- Authority
- 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?
- Objectivity
- 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?
- Currency
- When was the site last updated? Are the links also up-to-date?
- Coverage
- 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?
-
Sample Pages:
Authority:
The Doctor's Medical Library
Health Web
Objectivity:
RJ Reynolds Tobacco company website
Currency:
Roget's Thesaurus
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Guidelines
Because of the unpredictable quality of resources on the Internet, many librarians have published extensive guidelines for evaluating this information. Listed below are some of the guidelines that are available on the web.
- Evaluating Web Resources
Excellent resource for teaching critical evaluation skills on the web. Prepared by Marsha Tate and Jan Alexander, Widener University, Wolfgram Memorial Library.
- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, or Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources
Evaluation criteria, suggestions for successful Internet assignments, and examples of good and bad web pages. Prepared by Susan Beck at New Mexico State University.
- ICYouSee: T is for Thinking
ICYouSee Guide to Critical Thinking about What You See on the Web. Prepared by John Henderson, Ithaca College Library. Includes examples and exercises.
- Internet Detective
http://sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html
A free online tutorial on evaluating the quality of Internet resources.
- Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources
by Esther Grassian, UCLA College Library.
- Why We Need to Evaluate What We Find on the Internet
by D. Scott Brandt, Technology Training Librarian, Purdue University Libraries.
