Evaluating Internet Sources
The following information offers questions necessary to determine whether or not a web page is appropriate as a resource for research papers.
Authority (Author or Source)
Quality sites are created by those who have appropriate education or training to write about a particular topic. Check the website or other sources to learn more about the author.
• Is the author identified?
• Are the author’s credentials clearly recognized?
• Is the author affiliated with an organization or a company?
• Does the site claim to represent an organization, company, or government agency?
• Is there a link to the organization’s page or a means for contacting the organization or author?
A web page’s URL can assist in identifying the sponsor or source:
Non-governmental and/or professional organization web pages – find .org
Governmental web pages – find .gov 
Corporate/business/for profit web pages – find .com
Educational institution – find .edu 
Personal web pages often have a tilde (~) in the URL
Accuracy
• Can page information be verified? Are footnotes/ bibliographies or references provided? How reliable are these sources?
• Is there an editor or someone else who verifies the information?
• Does the page/document include a description of research methods and data?
• Has the site been reviewed by others?
Objectivity
• Does the web page show bias or inflammatory language?
• Does the site include advertising?
• If you are looking at a corporate/business website, you should assume that the information about this corporation will be positive and, therefore, not unbiased.
Currency
• Is there a date indicating when the document was created?
• Is it obvious when the site was last updated?
• Are links current?
Purpose/Coverage
• What is the primary purpose of the page? Does it sell a product or advance a political view? Look for a statement describing the purpose or coverage of this source – "mission statement," “About” or “FAQs.”
• Is the page a comprehensive resource or is the information provided too narrow for your research requirements?
Example of a Biased Website
Discovering a Website's bias:
This website is entitled "Martin Luther King Jr. - An Historical Examination" (http:// www.martinlutherking.org/; last accessed: 2002 August 15).
1. Note the beginning of the speech provided. The "Truth about King" page is a speech given by Kevin Alfred Strom entitled "The Beast as Saint: The Truth About "Martin Luther King, Jr." on a radio program in 1994. It appears to demean King’s importance in history.
2. Return to the main page. No organizational name can be found. Clicking the "Contact the Webmaster: Click Here" link (red arrow), we find the following e-mail address : mailto:vincent.breeding@stormfront.org
3. What is "stormfront.org"? This is the homepage for Stormfront, a "White Nationalist Resource Page." Stormfront is a website for White Supremacists
This website is extremely biased.
A Google Search for "stormfront" produces Stormfront.org
This is the homepage for Stormfront, a "White Nationalist Resource Page." Stormfront is a website for white supremacists.
Example of a Personal Website
What is a Website’s Authority?
This is "The Arachnology Home Page" (located at http://www.ufsia.ac.be/Arachnology/ Arachnology.html; last accessed: 2002 August 15).
This website looks professional, but we must determine the author, and his credentials?
1. At the bottom of the home page, is a red oval: The Arachnology Home Page Administrator: Herman Vanuytven. Contact (personal home page)
2. Follow the "Contact" link. The red underlining reads: "I'm an amateur arachnologist from Belgium. One of my hobbies is the study of spiders ... ."
3. While this is a nice website, the author is not qualified to be cited as a researcher. As a result, this home page should not be used for academic research papers.
Bottom of Homepage:
Contact page:
