Research Help

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When doing research, it is important to ask yourself: Is the information I am finding on the Internet reliable and useful to my research? Could I find better information in print materials or in a database accessible through the library?

Remember, any person or group can publish information on the internet, and there is no regulating body to ensure the accuracy or authority of information and information providers on the Internet. In everyday life and especially when doing research, it is imperative to know how to quickly and properly evaluate information found on the Internet.

Authority and Source
Author Credentials
Publisher Credentials
Types of Information and Purpose
Timeliness/Currency

Authority and Source

• Can you quickly identify the author or creator of the web page?
• What can the web address/URL tell you?

• Is this a personal webpage?
• .edu sites often have personal web pages not connected with the institution—look for a tilde (~) and personal name in the web address.
• Recognize the names of servers that host personal sites (geocities etc.)
• On the webpage, is there an email address to contact the author or publisher? (Not the webmaster, webpage administrator, or server manager.)
• Can you determine where the information was gathered?
• Original research?
• References, citations, or bibliography listing secondary sources? Try to quickly determine if those sources are legitimate or scholarly.
• Editorial or opinion?
• Are there links to other information?
  -Are they well-chosen?
  -Do they represent other viewpoints?
  -Do the links lead to biased information sources?
  -Perhaps most importantly, do the links actually work?
• Has the information been altered from its original source?
• Check out the UC Berkeley Library Web Page Evaluation Checklist, or their Evaluating Web Sites page in general.
• More? Check out the Lesley University Library's Evaluating Web Sites page.
• Still not convinced? Visit the Johns Hopkins University Libraries' Evaluating Information Found on the Internet page.

Author Credentials

• Determine the authors’ credentials:
• Do they have educational backgrounds or work in the fields in which they are publishing?
• Have they previously published other well-received works?
• Does it appear as though the author is simply a hobbyist or “self-proclaimed expert”?

Publisher Credentials

• Have you heard of this entity before?
• If the webpage is located on a specific organization’s website, what information can you find about this institution?

Types of Information and Purpose

• Is this information written for a popular or scholarly audience?
• What is the purpose of providing this information? (Inform, give facts, persuade, sell, lure, share, disclose etc.)
• Is the author/publisher making an argument for personal gain?
• Is the writing objective (including all sides of an argument) or subjective (focusing solely on one point of view)?
• Can you identify any bias in the way the information is presented? (Be wary of your own biases or desire to support your argument; this can cloud your perception of the information you view.)
  Note: Just because information is biased, or is presented in a biased manner, does not mean that it lacks usefulness, authority, or quality.
• Is the information intended to be educational, business-related, entertaining, or to convey personal opinions?

Timeliness and Currency

• When was this material published on the web?
• Is the information you are seeking time-sensitive, or an evolving topic?
• Is the material/information updated?
• How frequently is the webpage itself updated? Is this information available?
• Are the links current or expired?

Unsure of the quality of an Internet site? Questioning a source?
Don't hesitate to Contact Us or Make an Appointment if you need assistance.

Last revised: July 26, 2007

Maintained by the staff of Saint Mary's University Twin Cities Library
Comments to tc-library@smumn.edu
URL: http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/tclibrary/help/evaluating_websites.php