Evaluating internet resources
#1 Authority
- Is it clear who is responsible for the contents of the page?
- Is the author qualified to write on this topic? Are qualifications made clear?
- Does the author provide contact information: phone, postal, email, etc.?
- Is this page part of a larger website? If so, is it clear who is responsible for providing the information?
#2 Objectivity
- Does the page claim to be objective? If so, do you agree?
- Does the page recognize a bias, while granting that other points of view may exist
- Does the page contain advertising? If so, does the advertising affect the page's objectivity or stated bias?
#3 Connectivity
- Does the page refer to outside sources, as you would expect from a journalist or scholar?
- Are non-internet sources (books, articles, etc.) clearly cited?
- If links to related materials are included, do they connect to reliable sites?
#4 Coverage
- Do the contents cover all aspects of the topic?
- If all aspects are not covered, does the page make clear what is missing? Does it tell you where to locate additional information to round out your research?
- Are the contents specific, including citations, examples and case studies?
#5 Currency
- Does the page indicate when the contents were created or first made available online?
- Does the page indicate when it was last updated? How important is currency to this topic?
- If the page cites outside sources, are those sources appropriately current?
