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English 102 Composition II / Research: Website Evaluation

This Research Guide will assist students needing to explore topics before writing a research paper.

More criteria for evaluating web sites

Checklist for evaluating information. Be skeptical and ask questions.

 

AUTHORITY -- What are the author’s or ogranizations qualifications for presenting this information?  

OBJECTIVITY -- Is it clear what the intention or main purpose of the information is? To inform? To entertain? To force an opinion?  To  sell something? To educate? Are the goals or aims of the individual or group clear to you?  

CURRENCY -- Is the content up-to-date?  Does it matter to you and your topic if the content is older or newer?

COVERAGE -- What topics are covered and to what depth?  Coverage may differ depending on the source.

AFFILIATION -- Is there a corporate entity (i.e. company, government, organization, university) that supports this site?  Is there a link to the homepage of the organization?  Is there contact information such as an email link and a snail mail address?  How might this affiliation affect objectivity?

AUDIENCE -- For what audience is the material intended?  Is it for students in elementary school?  Middle school?  High school?  Is it for adults?  How complex is the use of language? 

Awesome Websites

Sometimes websites can provide excellent resources to support your ideas. Make sure you are checking the credibility of the internet source by checking with your instructor, a librarian, or by using tools for evaluating sources.

The following are a few reliable internet sources to try:

  • Allsides - Balanced news/ media bias 
  • Brookings Institution - Non-profit Public Policy. Researches societal issues.
  • Data.gov - Open data from the U.S. Government
  • Futurity - Published research from top universities
  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) - Provides evidence-based international data on a range of global issues 
  • Pew Research - Nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.
  • Snopes.com - Fact checking site
  • World Factbook from the CIA - Provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.

CRAP Checklist for Evaluating Sources

  • You can use this list as a quick checklist for evaluating your sources, whether they are websites or from SVC resources.
  • You don't need to be able to answer all the questions but use the list as a general evaluating tool.
CURRENCY
  • How recent is the information, does it matter to your topic?
  • Has the resource been consistently updated/revised?
  • Are links current and working?
RELEVANCE
  • Is the information really relevant to your topic?
  • Does the creator provide references or sources for data or ideas?
  • Are there errors?
AUTHORITY
  • Who is the creator, author or sponsor?
  • What credentials does the author or organization have?
  • Does their experience or education indicate that they could be considered "experts"?
  • Is information about the creator easily found?
  • Is information provided about funding sources or data gathering for the work?
PURPOSE / POINT OF VIEW
  • What is the the purpose of the site? Is it obvious what it's for?
  • Are they trying to sell you something or promote an idea?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is there a strong bias, an aggressive use of language, or a balanced tone?
  • Are there lots of pop-ups and irrelevant ads?

 

Domains on the Internet

Where does your source come from?

  • university (.edu)   University/college web sites are usually reliable. (Check the college/ university).  They are a source of many university journals which are not included in general databases.  Do not use student papers. 
  • special interest (.org)   Professional organizations end in .org.  But, some .orgs promote a specific agenda.  Look at the website authors in "About us" and check their authority
  • government or military (.gov or .mil)   In general they are the most reliable sources. 
  • company website (.com)  Good for information about a particular company. Be aware that company websites are used to promote, so be sure the information is non-biased

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