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It is not always easy to determine if information on the World Wide Web is credible. However, using the guidelines below will help you in making that evaluation.
| AUTHORITY |
- Who is the author of this page?
- What are their credentials?
- What institution are they affiliated with?
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Does the page conveniently display this information?
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| OBJECTIVITY |
- What is the purpose of this page?
- Does the author state the goals for this site?
- Does this page inform, educate, persuade or act as a soap box?
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If the author is affiliated with an institution (government, university, business, organization, etc), does this affiliation bias the information presented?
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| ACCURACY |
- A sloppy page (bad grammar, misspelling) indicates hastiness.
- It's always a good idea to cross-reference information no matter where you find it.
- Do graphics add or subtract from the content?
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Is the information complete or fragmented?
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| CURRENCY |
- When was this page created?
- Is there a revision/creation date?
- Do the links work?
- Is the page maintained and new material added?
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Remember to ask yourself:
"Is the Web the best place for this type of information... would a print source or an electronic database be a better choice?"
Double check with a Reference Librarian if you are unsure. |
The criteria presented here will help you to critically appraise web resources. For more in-depth information, check out
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