Developing internet evaluation skills can help you identify credible web pages that you can use for your research. It is important to look at the following criteria when evaluating internet sources:
Author(s): Who wrote the content? What is the author's expertise? What makes the author qualified to write about the topic? If no author is listed, who is responsible for the content? Is it a reputable organization?
Credibility: Where did the author find the facts? Is the information cited? Are you able to verify the information in another source? Does the information contain grammatical, spelling, and other typographical errors?
Bias: Does the content appear to contain any evidence of bias? Is the author promoting a particular point of view? Is the language impartial or does it favor one side or another?
Purpose: What is the purpose of the page or site? Is it to educate and inform? Or to persuade the reader to adopt a point of view? Is there a political or social or religious agenda to the site? Or does the site exist to sell a product?
Currency: Are there dates on the page that indicate when the page was written, when the page was first placed on the Web, or when the page was last revised? Does your research require recent data?
Links: Do the links on the page work? Do other Web pages link to or cite the page you are viewing?
Remember to check with your Professor to determine which kind of sources you can use for your assignment.
The CRAAP test is a source evaluation checklist developed by the CalState Chico Library.
The SMELL test is a framework that helps assess information trustworthiness.
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL at Purdue) developed Evaluating Digital Sources for evaluating digital texts and a breakdown of the different types of sources available online.
Lateral reading is a way to verify information from web pages by checking multiple sources. This allows for a more critical approach to consuming online information. Learn more about lateral reading in the video below.