Evaluating Internet Resources
Who are you going to believe??

Unlike most print resources such as magazines, journals, and books that go through a filtering process (e.g. editing, peer review, library selection), information on the Internet is mostly unfiltered. So using and citing information found over the Internet is a little like swimming without a lifeguard. The following guide provides a starting point for evaluating the World Wide Web sites and other Internet information.

Authority
Who is the author of the piece?
Is the author the original creator of the information?
Does the author list his or her occupation, years of experience, position, education, or other credentials?

 

Affiliation
What institution (company, organization, government, university, etc.) or Internet provider supports this information?

 

URL (Internet address) abbreviations:

.com = commercial (business) site. These sites make money for someone. www.amazon.com

.org = non-profit organization. Tax-exempt organizations not out to make money. www.pbs.org

.edu = college or university. www.unlv.edu

.net = a gateway or host. These sites may either be for profit or not. www.home.net

.gov = official government site. www.house.gov

.uk = United Kingdom - .ca = Canada - .nz = New Zealand - There are many international sites.

Does the author’s affiliation with this particular institution appear to bias the information?

Currency
When was the information created or last updated?

Purpose
What appears to be the purpose for this information?

            aautobull2.gif (149 bytes)Inform

            aautobull2.gif (149 bytes)Explain

            aautobull2.gif (149 bytes)Persuade or sell something
Who is the intended audience?


Follow this link for more information on evaluating Internet resourses:

Searching the Net for Bigfoot

home03.gif (14429 bytes)Back

© 1999 InFoPeople Project, http://www.infopeople.org/bkmk/select.html. Last updated January 18, 1999.

This document may be printed or copied for non-commercial use without further permission of the author, provided this notice is present. Edited by Steve Koelker, March 29, 2000.