The Research Process:
Evaluating the Sources

Information can come from a wide variety of sources. It is important to always evaluate, whether in print or electronic, the source. The following criteria can be applied to all sources but careful evaluation of web sites is highly recommended.

An Informational Web Page as a research source should present factual information. If you cannot find the author of a web page, taking off one URL directory at a time might help. Use biographical references or online sources to find out about the author.

The following criteria should be used when evaluating all web pages:

Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency and Coverage.

WHO sponsors the page? The name and email address of the organization should be obvious.

• Check to see who wrote the web page and the author's qualifications for writing on this topic. You may need to use a biographical source or online directory.
• Educational institutions and government pages are considered more accurate than a .com. The URL address ends in .edu or .gov. A ~ [tilde] in the URL generally means the web page is personal, for example, faculty at a university.

Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed so they can be verified?

• Use reference books to check facts. Grammatical, spelling and typographical errors may indicate sloppy work.
• Graphs or tables are easy to read. Are sources clear?

Is the information provided as a public service by a respected organization?

• Is there a particular viewpoint? Could some information be biased?
• Is it trying to sell a product? Check to see if there is any advertising on the web page. Sometimes paid ads are placed on pages in return for hosting a site.
• Is informational content distinguishable from advertising?

When was the page written?

• When the web page was placed on the web, updated or revised?
• Could you find more current information in another source?

Is there an indication that the page is complete and is not still under construction?

• Check to see if this is part of a print version or the entire work.
• Check to see if this is a sample of a piece of work.

PRACTICE EXAMPLES

Would you use these pages for a research paper and why? If not, find a better page and tell why you think it's a better choice.

• Ozymandias
• Biodiversity
• Cloning
• California Agriculture
• Animal Rights

TUTORIALS AND MORE INFORMATION

• OWH Library short tutorial on web site evaluation
• T is for Training from the Ithaca College Library