There’s a lot of useful
information on the Web, much of which is appropriate for scholarly
research. How can you tell between an
authoritative source and one that’s not?
Here are a few tips.
Authority
§
Make
sure that the author of the page provides contact information. This indicates
that they stand by what they wrote and are willing to discuss it.
§
Make
sure that the author indicates what their credentials or qualifications are.
§
Make
sure that the author has cited any references.
§
Understand
who published the page (if other than the author) and that the domain is
appropriate. Domains such as .edu, .gov, usually indicate “official” information.
Objectivity
§
Understand
why the page was written. If it was
written to further a particular cause then it might not be very objective.
§
Understand
whether or not a page is just an expression of the author’s opinion, and if so
make sure that the author backs up that opinion with details or references.
§
Make
sure that the page is not a mask for advertising.
Currency
§
Know
when the Web page was created.
§
Know
when the Web page was last updated.
§
Make
sure that any links are current and relevant.
Putting it all
together…
If the Web page…
§
lists the author’s contact information and credentials, and is
from an appropriate domain…
§
provides accurate information with limited advertising and is
objective in presenting information…
§
is current and updated regularly and the links are also current…
…then you may have a quality Web
page that could be of value to your research.
- For a directory of over
14,000 web sites that are evaluated by librarians, take a look at “The
Librarian’s Index to the Internet” at www.lii.org
Adapted by
Matt Ball and Todd Burks from "Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide
for library instruction." By Jim Kapoun, C&RL
News (July/August 1998): 522-523.
434-924-3021
www.lib.virginia.edu