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Library Research Guides

ENGWR 101 - Professor Borders (Fall 2014): Internet

  Evaluating Internet Sources

Anyone can publish anything on the web, so it's extremely important to evaluate the information you find there. Follow these links for guidelines on how to evaluate a site.

Evaluating Websites

Keep in mind that anyone can publish a website--whether an expert on the subject or not. Ask these questions when evaluating websites:

1. Who created the webpage?

2. Is the person who created the webpage an expert on the subject?

3. Is the website current or outdated? Look for a date when the website was last revised.

4. Is the information factual or a hoax? If in doubt, use a search engine to find out more the website. If it is a hoax, chances are someone has written about it.

5. Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence?

6. Does the website cover the subject in depth or does it give a general view?

Sites for Credible Internet Resources

Internet Public Library

One of the best sites for accessing "information you can trust" on a variety of topics.

INFOMINE

Scholarly Internet Resource Collections

Tips for Using Google

Use the domain limiter when looking for websites from government or educational institutions.

Type your keywords followed by site:.gov for government websites or site:.edu for educational websites.

Example Search: 
Search on the phrase: autism site:.gov
Google will return results only from government websites with the .gov extension.

You can use the domain limiter in Google's basic search box.