Evaluating Information on the World Wide Web
It is not always easy to determine if
information on the World Wide Web is credible. However, using the guidelines
below will help you in making that evaluation.
| AUTHORITY |
| Who is the author of this page?
|
What are their credentials?
|
What institution are they affiliated
with? |
Does the page conveniently display this
information? |
|
OBJECTIVITY |
| What is the purpose of this page? |
Does the author state the goals for this
site? |
Does this page inform, educate, persuade
or act as a soap box? |
If the author is affiliated with an
institution (government, university, business, organization, etc), does
this affiliation bias the information presented? |
| ACCURACY
|
| A sloppy page (bad grammar, misspelling)
indicates hastiness. |
It's always a good idea to
cross-reference information no matter where you find it. |
Do graphics add or subtract from the
content? |
Is the information complete or
fragmented? |
| CURRENCY |
| When was this page created?
|
Is there a revision/creation date?
|
Do the links work? |
Is the page maintained and new material
added? |
Ask yourself:
"Is the Web the best place for this type of information... would a
print source or an electronic database be a better choice?"
Double check with a Reference Librarian if you are unsure.
|
| The criteria presented here will help you
to critically appraise web resources. For more in-depth information, check
out
|
