Using information you find on the Web is a little different than using information found in traditional library resources such as books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and research reports. Why? Because:
The ABCs of Web Page Evaluation provide an easy-to-remember set of quick criteria to apply to any and all information you come across on the Web.
Authority (Credentials)
Who is presenting this information, and what are their related qualifications? Is there an individual author listed, or is the information coming from a group or organization? If an individual author is listed, can you determine if they have relevant education and experience? Can you verify his/her qualifications? If a group/organization authored the material, who are they? What is their purpose? Are they a nationally recognized group? How long have they been around? Who is on their staff? How about their Board of Directors?
Bias (Objectivity)
What is the purpose of this web site? Is it designed to present factual information as a public service? Is its purpose to persuade readers to adopt a particular viewpoint? Does it exist to sell ad space and therefore make a profit? One can use biased information as long as they proceed with caution. Put biased information into context (“According to the National Rifle Association, gun control fails in its fundamental purpose.”) and be sure to double-check statistics and “facts” from biased sights against reliable, non-biased sources.
Currency
Is the material current enough to support your research? When was the information you want to use generated? How recently was the site updated, and how often is it updated? Can you determine when material presented in the page (graphs, statistics, articles, etc.) was published?
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