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Nowadays, students heavily rely on the web for research, but not all websites are credible. Learn to evaluate websites using a checklist of criteria like accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage. Avoid biased or outdated sources by following these guidelines.
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It’s on the web…but is it true? • Nowadays, most students rely heavily on the Internet for research papers • Fewer students are using books, journals and magazines • This causes a few issues
Most academic books and journals are put through rigorous examination for accuracy • Generally, most major media outlets place a strong emphasis on fact checking • There are no such guarantees on the web
Some websites are excellent sources of legitimate research information • Some are clearly published by crazy people • With others, it’s more difficult to spot sources of bias, mistakes, or omissions
Some websites are published by prestigious universities, media outlets, and institutions • Some are published by lonely people from their own basements • The two are not equally valid for a research paper
So… Is it Good? • DO NOT… Simply go to Google and use the first three sites you see at the top of the page. • The fact that a website is atop the list simply means it contains certain keywords • It doesn’t mean it’s an academically sound website
List of Criteria • Accuracy of Web Documents • Authority of Web Documents • Objectivity of Web Documents • Currency of Web Documents • Coverage of the Web Documents
Accuracy Questions to ask: • Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her? • What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced? • Is this person qualified to write this document?
Accuracy Steps to take: • Make sure author provides e-mail or a contact address/phone number. • Know the distinction between author and Webmaster.
Authority Questions to ask: • Who published the document and is it separate from the "Webmaster?" • Check the domain of the document, what institution publishes this document? • Does the publisher list his or her qualifications?
Authority Further steps: • What credentials are listed for the authors)? • Where is the document published? Check URL domain.
Objectivity Questions to ask: • What goals/objectives does this page meet? • How detailed is the information? • What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?
Objectivity • Determine if page is a mask for advertising or a political group; if so information might be biased. • View any Web page as you would an infomercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom?
Currency Questions to ask: • When was it produced? • When was it updated? • How up-to-date are the links (if any)?
Currency • How many dead links are on the page? • Are the links current or updated regularly? • Is the information on the page outdated?
Coverage Questions to ask: • Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents' theme? • Is it all images or a balance of text and images? • Is the information presented cited correctly?
Task Choose one of the following poets: • Langston Hughes • TS Eliot • Al Purdy • Maya Angelou • Emily Dickinson • Robert Frost • ________ (A poet of your choice)
Use three different search engines to find three different websites about the poet • Subject the three sites to the checklist • Identify which site you think is the best source for a research paper • Explain your choice
Sources • http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html
