Can You Trust Information You Find on the Internet?
Lack of quality control is one of the drawbacks of the
internet. This means that anyone who has a computer connected to the
internet and wants to make his/her information or opinion available
can publish to the web. Because there are no restrictions, guidelines,
or review processes for contributions to the web, the quality, accuracy,
validity, and authority of the contributed information varies wildly.
Apply your critical thinking
skills
Use your ability to judge the usefulness, validity and reliability of the information
you uncover.
The following criteria are a set of questions and/or
principles that act as a benchmark to evaluate information.
Not all web sites are equally
valuable or credible.
Is the content of the web page focused on the topic?
Relevant
Is the content of the web page specific to the
topic of your interest? Or does it cover a variety of (too many) topics that are not relevant? That is to say, is the page designed to trick search engines (Google, Bing, Safari) by including other commonly searched topics (keywords)?
Adequate
Does the web page information adequately
cover the topic: is it too general or too detailed?
Audience appropriate
Is the content intended for children,
scholars, general public? Was the page written to inform,
educate, entertain (parody).
Primary or secondary account (original or synthesized?)
Does the page offer original (primary)
information not covered elsewhere? Is this page a synthesis (combination)
of other people's (secondary) accounts or writings? Is this
the best page to use, or does another page contain or summarize and present
this information in a better way?
Is there an author named on the page? Is the author qualified? If not, then…
Sponsor of site
Is there a sponsor? Is the sponsor qualified? (i.e. Is there
an "about us" or "our mission" link?) If not, then…
Link or contact Information
Is the author or sponsor's name, e-mail, postal address listed? If not, then…
Clues to page's origin
Is there any other way to determine the page's author(s)? (header, footer, URL or domain name)
Is the URL associated
with a university or reputable organization?
Does the domain
name indicate .edu → educational institution; .org → non-profit
organization; .gov → governmental body? (Useful for determining
origin only. Reputable information can also be found on: .com → commercial
enterprise; .net → Internet)
Does the author cite his/her sources? Is the research methodology explained?
Subject to verification
Can the information be verified by additional resources
in print or on the web, such as snopes.com (rumors), an intergovernmental organization un.org (government statistics), a developmental policy organization unicef.org (statistics).
Use your library's online databases for access to academic writing.
Corroborated
Are links and resource citations included
that support claims made on the site? (secondary confirmation)
Collaborative
Is a committee or editor named who reviews the content or
verifies facts. (cooperatively developed)
Is there a "last updated" notation or evidence
of recent changes? If not, then…
Seemingly current
Does the information seem current to you? Do news events,
conference events or any bits information lead you to believe
the page has been updated recently? If not, then…
Linked currently
Are the links still working? Do pages turn up with "this
site has moved" or "page not found"?