The Internet provides a wealth of research and learning information that is mind dazzling. But how good is such information?
Much of it originates from known academic references or authoritative sources that make the information valid and reliable. Many internet sites, however, provide biased and misleading information that has little or no academic value.
Unlike academic books and journals, the information found on the World Wide Web is not subjected to any regulatory measures and therefore cannot always be taken at face value.
End-users should therefore be very critical of the information found on the World Wide Web. The following five criteria may be applied to evaluate such information:
Authority
- Is the name of the author or sponsoring body listed? (Government agency, organization, company, etc.)
- Are the author(s) qualifications or credentials listed? (education, occupation, years of experience, position)
- Is there contact information (e-mail, address, or phone number) or a means to verify the legitimacy of a person or organization?
- Is there a link to a homepage?
- Is the listed name different from the Webmaster?
- Where is the document published? Check the URL domain (.edu, .org, .com, .gov). As a rule of thumb, the .gov and .edu hostnames are usually reliable to present accurate information. The other domains are more likely to host pages with their own personal or organizational views and may require additional verification. (To discover who owns a domain name, check its registration using Whois.)
Tip: To find relevant information about the author, check personal homepages on the Web, and print sources at the LAU Libraries i.e. Who’s Who and other biographical sources that can be used to determine the author’s credentials.
Accuracy
- Where there are charts and/or graphs containing statistical data, are such charts and/or graphs clearly labeled and easy to read?
- Where facts and figures are given, are the sources of factual information clearly cited so that they can be verified in a print source for example?
- Is the information consistent with other published information on this same topic?
- If the document has been converted from paper, does the Web release provide the same content as the print version? And in the case of serial publications, is the Web document the same as the print edition?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Is the content free of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors?
- Is there any linking problem?
Objectivity
Objectivity refers to the level of bias in information. Special attention should be paid to the objectives of the writer and the purpose of the site by considering the following points:
- Has the author or the organization clearly stated the goals and objectives of the site? To know this, you need to read the Web site’s statement of purpose or its mission statement.
- If the site accepts advertising, does it publish its advertising policy? Moreover, is the advertising clearly differentiated from the informational content?
- Does the document reside on the Web server of an organization that has a political or philosophical agenda?
- Is the site the reflection of one individual’s interests, a personal homepage?
- Is the language free of emotion-rousing words? In another word, is the tone of the source calm, reasoned, and not highly emotional?
Tip: To learn more about objectivity or bias in information, read Marriott, M. (1999, March 18). Rising tide: Sites born of hate. New York Times, G1.
Currency
- Does the document include a publication date, or a copyright date? Is it up-to-date?
- If the information is published in different editions, is it stated what edition the page is from?
- How up-to-date are the links? Are there blind links, or references to sites that have moved?
Coverage
- Does the document meet your research needs or purpose?
- Does the author adequately cover the topic?
- Does the site or the source cover a specific time period or aspect of the topic, or strive to be comprehensive?
- Are there links to other relevant sites which provide additional information?
- Is there an indication that the page has been completed, and is not still under construction?
Should you like to sharpen your evaluation skills, try out the tutorials or exercises listed below:
ICYouSee: A Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the Web
Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine
Evaluating Internet Sites 101!
Evaluating Web Sites > Overview - Key Ideas
Last updated: November 2007
