Evaluating Websites & Internet Sources

This page provides some criteria and questions to ask when evaluating sources for credibility.

Consider these criteria when examining a web source for credibility:

AUTHORITY

• What are the author’s qualifications/credentials for presenting information on this subject? 

• Is the author's expertise well established or easy to find?

• How reputable is the publisher or sponsoring organization? 

  • How? Check the authorship and qualifications, try a quick Google or Wikipedia search for the name or organization. 

OBJECTIVITY OR PERSPECTIVE

• Is there a clear side or position, or does it offer balanced points of view? Or does the information provide several perspectives or is it more opinionated?

• Does the information contain specific kinds of tone or strong language? Can you detect bias in the use of langauage or how ideas are presented?

  • How? Check outside the source to see what others say about it. Check provided "about" information or mission statements to see if the goals, financial backing, or aims of the individual or group are clearly stated and transparent.

CURRENCY

• Is the content up-to-date? Is the coverage outdated? The importance of dates can change depending on topic and need.

  • How? Check to see if publication dates are included or if information has been consistently updated. 

AUDIENCE

• Can you identify what audience the material is intended for? Is it directed to younger kids or adults? Is it aimed at other experts in the field or other professionals?

• Is the material very complex or simpler and easy to understand? 

  • How? Check for language usage, writing structure, and overall tone.

ACCESS

• Are there limitations or gatekeeping as to who has access to the research, or who is able to publish the work? Or is it an open source that is freely available?
  • How? Check to see if you need special permission, login credentials, or if you have to pay to access the full information? (Never pay - ask a librarian for help first!). 

CONTEXT

• Has the information been removed from it's orginal source? It's harder to tell if the information is reliable if it has been taken out of it's original context.
  • How? Check for references and/or embedded links to trace back to the orginal research or context.

You can use this list as a quick checklist for evaluating 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.

Use this quick tip to help you find out more about a source.

Creative Commons License

Understanding the web domain can give you information about the source.

Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)