In addition to library resources, some research may require you to consult internet resources. Not all online sources are created the same. It is important to evaluate resources for credibility, currency, and authority. Use this page to help you with evaluating online resources.

If you need a reminder on how to evaluate internet resources, go the Research & the Library Module.

Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites

Types of websites

.com – commercial; .gov – governmental, .mil – military, .org – organizational, .net -- network

Author

• What are the author’s credentials?
  • Where do they work (university or research facility, for example)?
  • What is their educational background?
  • What else have they written and is the source you are looking at their area of expertise?
• Have you seen their name cited by other authors?
• Are they affiliated with a reputable institution or organization?
• Can you find an about or information page? Is there contact information?

Currency

• When was it published?
• When was it updated or revised?
• Are the links up to date (i.e. no broken links)?
• Is the information still relevant? Or is it outdated for your chosen topic.

Authority

• Who is the publisher?
  • Does it list the publisher’s credentials?
• What is the domain name? Where was it published?
  • .com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov, .mil
  • .com/fr (denotes France as the country)

Content

• What is the audience for the source?
• Why was it written?
• Is the author objective? Does the source display a bias?
  • Is it factual, propaganda, or opinion?
• How detailed is the information?
• Is there evidence of research?
• Are there mistakes on the page?
  • Poor grammar, misspelled words?

Coverage

• Is the information primary or secondary?
• Is it organized in a logical way?
• Is it easy to read?
• Is there a fee to obtain the information? (this does not include subscription based journals which require a fee to purchase access to an article)