Evaluating Web Resources

When searching for information using the World Wide Web, it is important to be aware of the quality of the information being presented to you. One must keep in mind that anyone can host a web site. To be sure that the information you are looking at is credible and of value to you should keep the following criteria in mind:

1. AUTHORITY/SOURCE
Is it clear who is responsible for the contents of the page? Try to find out who are the authors of the Web page. Is it an organization, society, governmental site? Is its sponsored by an educational institution or is it someone's personal site? Or, is it a commercial site where someone is selling something? Do the authors of the site have any qualifications to go with the information they are presenting? Does the site present any other way of contacting the site authors-postal address, phone numbers?

2. ACCURACY
Are the sources for any factual information listed so that you can verify them in another source? How well put together is the site-does it have spelling errors, typos, etc.? Are any charts, diagrams, statistical information clearly labeled as to where the data source came from?

3. OBJECTIVITY/CONTENT
Is this information being provided as part of a public service? How much, if any, advertising is there on the page? Is the advertising content clearly separate from the informational content? Does the author of the page state any bias for producing the page, such as an advocacy for a particular point of view or program?

4. CURRENCY/TIMELINESS
Can you tell when the last time was that the page itself was updated? Are there any indications on how often the informational content is updated?

5. STRUCTURE/ACCESS
How well designed or user-friendly is the site? If it contains images, are they useful, load quickly, or merely take up space. July 8, 2007 8:04 PMh the site" function?

DOMAINS
.biz = business
.com = commercial site
.edu = US educational institution
.gov = US government
.info = commercial
.mil = US military
.museum = museums
.name = personal sites
.net = network resources
.org = non-profit organization
.tv = televison

Material adapted from the University of Minnesota Bio-Medical Library Web site. Available at www.biomed.lib.umn.edu. Reproduced by Permission.