Why evaluate web sites?

• Almost anyone can publish on the Web
• Many Web resources are not verified by editors and/or fact checkers
• Web standards to ensure accuracy are not fully developed

How to evaluate web sites

Authority

Is the page actually a journal article from a peer-reviewed journal or a book published by a major press?

Which domain is the Website from (.gov and .edu are more reliable than .com)

Who wrote the page (Is it signed? Does the author give biographical information or credentials?)

Objectivity

Does the author or publisher have a bias that could affect the reliability of the information?

Any site that is trying to sell product has a bias

Accuracy

Does the source provide citations so you can verify the information?

Are the citations to other websites or are they to journal articles and books?

Currency

When was the information written?

When was it last updated?

General Tips

• Never quote from Wikipedia (use the articles to get the gist of the subject and mine the reference list.)
• For tips on searching for authoritative websites, [link]