Evaluating Information Found on the WWW

Whenever we access something on the Internet, we need to decide whether that information is useful, reliable, and appropriate for our purposes. This especially important when we are using the Web to find resources for research. We need to think critically instead of just using information because it is readily available or published on the Web.

In some situations, information has been screened before it comes to us. Information from an academic or research library has been evaluated and selected by professional librarians. Information in a database that has been prepared by a scholarly or commercial organization is often evaluated and checked for correctness before it is made available. Articles and reports published by scholarly organizations, research labs, and government agencies frequently go through an independent review process before being published.

Virtual Libraries

Some librarians and information specialists have established libraries on the Web which contain lists of reliable sources of information. Here are some examples:

• Argus Clearinghouse
• Internet Public Library
• Librarian's Index to the Internet

Guidelines for Evaluation

Ask yourself the following questions when assessing information you have found on the Internet:

• Who is the Author or Institution?
  • If the information has been written by an individual, does the web site include biographical information (educational and other credentials, occupational position, institutional affiliation) about the author?
  • If an institution has written the resources, does the web site include information about the institution, including its purposes, history, and address/phone number?
  • Have you seen the author's or institution's name cited in other sources or bibliographies?
  • What clues does the URL give you about the source's authority? (A tilde ~ in the page's URL indicates it is a personal page rather than an institutional web site. .edu=educational web site, .gov=governmental, .com=commercial, .net=network, .org=organization)
  • If the page is part of a larger institution's web site, does the institution appear to filter the information that appears at its site?
• How Current is the Information?
  • Is there a date on the web page?
  • Is there any indication when the page was last updated?
  • Is any of the information obviously out of date?
  • Does the page creator mention how frequently site material is updated?
• Who is the Audience
  • Is the page intended for the general public, scholars, practioners, children, etc? Is the intended audience defined?
  • Does the page meet the needs of its intended audience?
• Is the Content Accurate and Objective?
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious or institutional biases?
  • Is the content intended to be a brief overview of the information or an in-depth analysis?
  • If the information is opinion, is this clearly stated?
  • If information has been copied from other sources, is this noted?
• What is the Purpose of the Information?
  • Is the purpose to inform, explain, persuade, market a product, or advocate a cause?
  • Is the purpose clearly stated?
  • Does the resource fulfill the stated purpose?

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