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Evaluating Internet Sources

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Just as not all religions present truth, neither do all Internet sources present reliable information. Because a web site contains information does not mean the author is an expert on the topic. Anyone can set up a web site and write about anything. It is the writer's responsibility to evaluate each Internet (and print) source before using it in his or her paper. Papers for academic writing should reflect reliable source support.

Following is a brief checklist of things to ascertain about any source:

• Can you find the author's name, title or position?
• Does the author seem qualified to write on the topic? Why? Is biographical information, title, e-mail or phone given? (Clues that he or she might not be qualified are misspelled words, poor writing, bad grammar, anonymity.)
• Is the tone serious and scholarly? (Or is it written with sarcasm, humor, sexual innuendo or blatant ribaldry, "put downs," or a "cutesy" approach-all intended mainly for entertainment?
• Is the organization named? Is the web site officially sanctioned with the company logo? Is it a known, respected organization?
  (Common top-level domains include these; however, such a suffix does not necessarily indicate a strong site:
  • .com Business/commercial
  • .edu Educational institution
  • .gov Government sponsored
  • .mil Military
  • .net Various networks
  • .org Nonprofit organization
• Does the author and/or company have any reason to be biased about the information? (For example, do they stand to benefit by selling something or getting new members to sign on?)
• Do you see signs of possible inaccuracy (no date, an old date, a one-sided view that seems unnecessarily biased, conflict of interest, exaggerations, a slanted world view)?
• Are facts and statistics documented with links so that you can verify with other sources?

If you have reason to suspect that information is inaccurate, biased, or outdated, look for a better source. Never include more electronic sources than print sources in a paper.

Other sources helpful in evaluating Internet material:
http://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/webeval.htm
www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm