Evaluation Criteria for Internet Research

It is useful to keep in mind basic criteria when evaluating a website for its quality of information. Currently, there are no editors, fact-checkers or standards that exist to ensure accuracy of the vast array of materials published on the World Wide Web.

The following websites provide questions to pose concerning Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage of materials publicly available on the Web:

Web Research Evaluation Checklist (University of Louisville Libraries)

Evaluation Criteria (New Mexico State University Library)

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask (UC Berkeley Library)

Synopsis of the criteria:

• Accuracy -- Make sure the information is reliable, error-free, and can be verified in another source.
• Authority -- Verify the author and his/her qualifications to determine if s/he is qualified and/or an expert. Is the source or sponsor reliable? Consider the domain (.edu, .com, .gov, .org, .net) as a means of determining further information about the publisher or host.
• Objectivity -- Check to see if there are biases, including whether the information is free of advertising, and whether the page is designed to influence opinion.
• Currency -- If up-to-date information is needed, check to see if the page is dated and/or when it was last updated.
• Coverage -- Check to see if the page is complete or under construction. If the material is based on a print resource, is it the full-text or only part of the text and is it the current version or an outdated version?

Careful evaluation of webpages and websites based on these criteria will help in determining the quality and reliability of the information provided.