Evaluating Web Sites - Quick Guide
Critical review of information sources is an ongoing process for the serious researcher. Below are a few guidelines to use as you select information from the World Wide Web. See also the
Evaluating Information Checklist for rating and scoring all types of research sources.
Reliability
In most cases, books, government documents, articles, and news broadcasts are reviewed by editors before publication. Web pages can be written by anyone without any review before going online. So, the Web can be a real (mis)information jungle. Reliable information is written by an author who has experience with a subject and/or cites research from well-known authorities.
Reliability Check:
Purpose
Educational (.edu) and governmental (.gov) generally want to publish factual information so people can become more informed about a topic. Commercial news sites (e.g.,
http://www.nytimes.com) generally provide factual reporting as well with commentary added in editorials and columns. Carefully review the claims of all Web sources, but especially those types of sites not previously listed (e.g., .org, .net, other .com).
Purpose Check:
- Does the author/sponsor state the purpose of the site/page (usually near the title)?
- What kind of page is it?
commercial - .com, educational - .edu, military - .mil, governmental - .gov, organizations - .org, network and service providers - .net (also note country codes used in URLs)
- Keep in mind that since 1996, .org, .net., and .com could be registered by non-commercial and commercial groups.
- Additional new domains - .info, .biz, .name, .pro, .coop, .aero, and .museum - are now being used on the World Wide Web
- Is the author trying to sway your opinion, sell you something, or present facts/research results? What clues point you to a motive?
Balance
Since writers are human, personal bias is displayed to some extent in many publications. Editorials and columns online may contain facts, but predominantly feature the writer's opinion or bias toward an issue. Consider using differing viewpoints on an issue to provide balance to a research paper.
Balance Check:
- Are several sides of an issue included on the page?
- Does the author state his/her stand on the issue?
- Does he/she offer supporting information sources (statistics, examples, etc.)?
- Does the writing feature factual information and/or personal opinion? (Be wary of personal pages that include a "~" and/or a personal name in the URL since they frequently include personal information and undocumented opinion (e.g., http://duke.usask.ca/~elias/left/.))
Currency
If up-to-date information is crucial to your topic, review the dates listed on Web pages to determine their currency. Dates may refer to when the information was gathered, published, or revised. If possible, compare Web data against another source (e.g., article, government document, or book) to determine currency.
Currency Check:
Coverage
Web sites may include lengthy research reports or one-paragraph news updates. Decide what type(s) of topic coverage you desire before you begin your research. Revise your needs accordingly after you review potentially useful sources located during the research process.
Coverage Check:
- Does the page feature a brief update or in-depth study of the topic?
- Is a research study with statistical data needed to prove your point or would a newspaper article report on the research study provide sufficient information? Do you need to compare them?
- Is this information unique or is it repeating other sources you have used?
- Does this page list or link to reliable and useful information in other sources?