1	Evaluating Internet Sources A checklist for determining the quality of online resources
2	The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Anyone can put anything on the Internet No one has to approve online content Variety of formats Variety of purposes Many levels of quality
3	What’s the Difference? Internet vs. Web-based Resources Internet Search engines Search directories Newsgroups Listserv Web-based Full-text and statistical databases E-books and journals
4	Who’s Looking Out for You? Internet vs. Web: Differing Levels of Oversight No or minimal review Search engines and directories Newsgroups and listserv Moderated vs. unmoderated Peer review Scholarly journals/publications Editorial review E-books and journals
5	Why Evaluate? To insure the information we find is reliable and authoritative To verify information and judge whether it is appropriate for our purposes
6	Playing Detective Ask yourself the following questions: Is it authentic? Who is the author or institution? How current is the information? Who is the audience? Is the content accurate and objective? What is the purpose of the information?
7	Is it an Authentic Source? Where does the information originate? Is the information from an established organization? Has the information been reviewed by others to insure accuracy? Is this a primary source or secondary source of information? Are original sources clear and documented? Is a bibliography provided citing the sources used?
8	Treasure or Trash? Welcome to the World Trade Organization World Trade Organization
9	Hints… Follow links Check page dates Use other sources to validate
10	Who is the Author or Institution? (When just a name isn’t enough) Does web site include biographical information (educational and other credentials, occupational position, institutional affiliation) about the author? If an institution has written the resources, does web site include information about institution (its purposes, history, and address/phone number)? Have you seen the author's or institution's name cited in other sources or bibliographies?
11	More . . . 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?
12	And more… Think critically, be skeptical .edu (educational) Can be anything from serious research to student pages. .gov (governmental) Is usually dependable. .com (commercial) May be trying to sell a product. .net (network) May provide services to commercial or individual customers. .org (organization) Nonprofit organization, may advocate one point of view over another.
13	Who’s the Author? The Victorian Web Human Cloning Discussion
14	Hints... Look for the name of the author or institution at the top or bottom of a Web page Does the site provide information about credentials, professional affiliations? To find out about the sponsor, go to the home page for the site that hosts the information To find further information about the institution or author, use a search engine to see what related information is available on the Web
15	More hints…. Use Deja News or another tool to search Usenet archives for other information about the author or institution. If an individual is the author, you can see what sorts of articles he or she has posted on Usenet.
16	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?
17	Currency and Coverage CNN We're All Guinea Pigs
18	Hints: What does "up to date" or "current" mean for this site? (Hint: What is the latest date you can find on this site?) Does the site really provide information on all the aspects or areas it claims to cover? Is the information provided uniformly complete for all the aspects and areas the site claims to cover?
19	Who is the Audience? Is the page intended for the general public, scholars, practitioners, children, etc? Is the intended audience defined? Does the page meet the needs of its intended audience?
20	Audience Organic Gardening Exploring Classroom Hydroponics
21	Hints Does the site indicate its intended audience? What level of language is used—simple, scientific, professional jargon? Which is the more appropriate source for college level research?
22	Is the Content Accurate? Is it 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?
23	Authority and Accuracy The Smoking Section Medline Plus
24	Hints: Which site presents factual information? How credible is the site and its author? The main questions to keep in mind are: Would you use this Web site for a research paper? Why or why not?
25	Advocacy and Objectivity School Prayer Americans for Voluntary School Prayer
26	Hints: Do the author(s) present the information as fact or opinion or conjecture? Does this page present more than one viewpoint or opinion? Can you determine who or what group sponsors this web page? Do they hold a particular view or opinion?
27	What is the Purpose of the Information? To inform, explain, persuade, market a product, or advocate a cause? Is the purpose clearly stated? Does the resource fulfill the stated purpose?
28	Selling, informing, or persuading? Project Vote Smart Election Solutions
29	Hints Look for the following: Mission statement Membership applications Requests for contributions of money or time Price lists, shopping carts, etc.
30	Summary... You will need to make the final decision whether or not an online resource will provide you with authentic, accurate, unbiased, timely information.
31	Conclusion While the Internet offers a wealth of resources, not all sources are equally valuable or reliable. Evaluating web sites requires critical thinking skills