Contents
[hidetoc]PRINT VERSUS WEB
Print materials generally have some type of editorial review before they are published. But anyone can create and publish a web site. Information published on the web can be facts, opinions, stories, interpretations, or parodies. It may be reliable or purposely false; it may be there to persuade you to buy an item or particular idea or change your attitude or belief. BE WARY when searching for information on the WWW.
Use the criteria and hints below to evaluate web sites.
Much of the same criteria can be used for print materials. For additional considerations, see:
- Critically Analyzing Information Sources Cornell University Library
For specifically evaluating types of periodicals, see:
AUTHORITY
- Who is the author? Is there an author listed? Signed articles are the best sources. If you can not identify the author, organization or corporation that wrote the web page or posted the information, do not use it.
- What are the author's credentials? Is the author an authority on the topic? What expertise does the author have?
- Is there a sponsor/company or location of the site appropriate to the material? Domain names in the URL can provide clues:
- .edu for education or research material from educational institutions
- .gov for government resources
- .com for commercial products or commercially-sponsored sites.
- .net for an Internet Service Provider
- .org for organization (not for profit)
- A tilde ( ~ ) as part of a URL may mean a personal home page with no official sanction, even if there is a .edu or .com in the URL.
- Is there an email account to send questions or comments? Or an address to contact the author or producer?
Tips:
- Choose sources from established publishers over ones about which you know little.
- Web databases subscribed to by the UW-Stout Library contain articles and references from respected sources. Examples of licensed databases available in Indexes and Databases are EbscoHost, ABI/ Inform, WilsonWeb, FirstSearch, Academic Universe and NewsBank.
- Use information from government agencies, trade and professional associations,
major universities or research centers. If you need to know more about
an association, try searching for it in Associations
Unlimited.
- Check to see if the URL moves or disappears abruptly. Reliable publishers establish markers to new locations of web pages.
RELEVANCY AND PURPOSE
- Is this information relevant or useful for your topic?
- How in-depth is the information?
- Who is the intended audience? Children? Professionals? General public?
- Is there a particular viewpoint that the author is trying to push or endorse?
- Watch for advertising. Is something being sold?
Hints:
- Watch for biased information from political groups, businesses, pressure groups, and listservs devoted to nonacademic or research missions, and advocacy groups. Be particularly careful with .org or .com sites.
- Look for a stated purpose. Find information in links that use words like "About us".
- Mission statement. Look for basic information about the site and who runs it.
- Check Indexes and Databases to see if you can find articles to verify the information.
CURRENCY
- When was the web site produced?
- When was it last revised?
- How up to date are the links?
- For your purposes, does it matter if the information is current or not?
Hints:
- Reliable sources usually include the last date that the web page was revised.
STRUCTURE
- Is the text grammatically correct? Are there spelling errors?
- Are the graphics there to help the reader understand or learn? Do they have a function? Or are they there for decoration?
- Is the site easy to navigate? Are there clearly labeled buttons to return the viewer to Home, Back, Go To Top?
- Are all of the links working? Reliable sources frequently check their links to make sure they are working.
LINKS TO HOAX SITES
- HoaxBusters CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability), Office of the Chief Information Office, Department of Energy
- Urban Legends Reference Page From Snopes.com
- About.com's "Current Netlore" page
- Quackwatch.com Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud and Intelligent Decisions
- Museum of Hoaxes
LINKS TO EVALUATION SITES
- Evaluating Internet Information From Virginia Tech University Libraries
- Ten C's For Evaluating Internet Sources (PDF)University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire McIntyre Library
- Evaluating Information Found on the Internet From Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University
- Evaluating Web Sites From the 21st Century Information Fluency Project
- Evaluation Criteria The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from New Mexico State University Library
- Evaluation of Internet Information Sources The World-Wide Web Virtual Library by Alastair Smith. Set of links
- Widener University Wolfgram Memorial Library Evaluating Web Resources (Flash tutorial. Turn on your audio)
WWW Search Engines
The search engines that are available on the WWW vary in depth and coverage. Explore the search options to find relevant WWW sites. For a list of available search engines and WWW directories, e.g. Google or Yahoo, use Searching the Web from the Library Home Page.
Citations
To cite online resources in appropriate bibliographic style see: Citing Resources
To organize citations and create bibliographies and papers in APA, MLA and other styles see: RefWorks and Other Citation Management Tools
Last Updated: 04/24/2008 and Last Revised: 4/23/2008
Contact Denise Madland for more information or help on this topic.