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Tips from our own Sherry Crowther, Librarian
The web has brought “publishing” to the masses and it is a wonderful place to begin research. However, since a large portion of online sources are self-published and have not been vetted through an editorial process, it is important that users learn how to evaluate the quality of online sources. Listed below are a few general tips on how to assess the reliability of a site.
Be aware that authors and publishers want to be paid for their work, so not all published materials are available free online. For academic research, it is important to include published materials, so use the library to access journal databases, books, and reference sources such as encyclopaedia.
1. Who is responsible for the site?
Check to see if the author can be identified. Is there an email address or other contact information? Are credentials/qualifications listed? If not, type the author's name in Google to get more information about him/her.
Check where the site is hosted. Research information hosted on a university server may be better than information on a commercial site that is trying to sell something. The URL (web address) may give you some clues. Even though it is not completely standardized, domain suffixes may help you differentiate between the different kinds of sites.
.com = company, a commercial site.
.org = non-profit organizations,
.edu = educational website.
Truncate the URL to check the organization hosting the site. For example, for the following web address: www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/links.html, simply try going to www.lib.byu.edu.
2. How accurate is the information?
Check to see if the site contains a bibliography of sources. Can you verify the information used? The types of materials used may be an indicator of quality. For example, citing a published, academic journal would be more credible than citing information from a personal website.
3. How current is the site?
Check if there are any dates on the site. When was the site created or when was the site last updated? Is the site recent enough for your field of study?
4. Gain further information on the website
Use www.alexa.com to gain information on who has registered the site, what other sites link to it, and who visits it. While this may not work well for new sites, having lots of other websites linking to the page may be an indicator of quality. Check the kinds of sites using this link.
Use the wayback machine to get a history of the website. www.web.archive.org/collections
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Critical Thinking Skills main page (with readings on media
Should I believe it?: A Guide to Evaluation
bias and manipulation of language
bias and manipulation of photographs
bias and manipulation of statistics
bias and manipulation of maps
logical fallacies