This guide is also available in pdf: Evaluating Websites Guide
It is important to evaluate Internet resources critically, as not everything you read online is reliable and true. Anyone can create a website, which means many websites lack the quality controls (e.g. editing and fact checking) that are used in publishing other types of resources (e.g. scholarly journals).
When using websites for research, use the following ABCs as criteria for website evaluation:
To evaluate the quality of the information they contain, apply the following questions to websites:
Accuracy
Is the information reliable and high in quality?
Authority
Who is responsible for the information and the website?
Bias
Is the information presented more or less objectively?
Coverage
Is the topic adequately covered? Is the information what you need?
Currency
Is the information up-to-date?
Conclusion
All of the above criteria work together. For example, a website might go into great detail about a topic, but if the information is not current or accurate, or if you cannot tell much about the author's qualifications, you should search elsewhere.
Consider your own purpose: what are you going to use this information for? It is your responsibility to evaluate the websites you use for your research. Be vigilant in choosing websites with reliable and good quality information.
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