Evaluating Information on the World Wide

Check the site before you cite! : 

Check the site before you cite! Evaluating information on the World Wide Web.

The Internet : 

The Internet Pros A wealth of information. A variety of voices and perspectives. A growing open access movement making things increasingly more available for free. Cons The “wealth” of information can be factually wrong or intentionally misleading. It gives a voice to people we don’t necessarily want to hear! Popular websites such as Wikipedia or “About.com” are being innapropriately used in academia.

Don’t get us wrong! : 

Don’t get us wrong! The Internet is an important resource AND can be very helpful for research; sometimes invaluable. However, it is important to ask yourself certain questions. Check the site BEFORE you cite.

Things to consider about a website : 

Things to consider about a website Authorship Publishing body Point of view or bias. Citations and references. Timeliness/date Marketing-are they making money?

Authorship : 

Authorship Who wrote it? Is it apparent? Have other authors cited them? What are their credentials? Can you contact them?

Publishing Body : 

Publishing Body Is this a real/reputable company or organization? Are they recognized in their field? Are they a knowledgeable source on this topic (i.e: It’s not the American Accounting Association giving advice on Social Work practices)

Point of View/Bias : 

Point of View/Bias Ask: what does this person get out of it? Do they work for this company? Do they have an interest in promoting one opinion over the other? Is their research based in reality? Cronyism: Is this person only citing people that agree with them-or do they take into consideration all opinions?

Citations and References : 

Citations and References Do they cite the important works in this field? Do they cite at all? Do they have a bibliography readily available so that their information can be verified?

Timeliness : 

Timeliness When was this information written? Take into consideration your field. It might be appropriate to cite research on Jane Austen from 1950, but less so to cite medical studies from 1950 for a nursing paper. Does the website have a date from when it was last updated? Does the article refer to older information or statistics?

Payment and Advertising : 

Payment and Advertising Is it showing up first in the search results because its been paid for, or because of it’s relevancy? Are there ads on the webpage? Is the author making money on this site?

Want some practice? Want a checklist? : 

Want some practice? Want a checklist? Your librarians have a fun interactive quiz where you can practice your information evaluation skills. We also have an information checklist so you can remember these points! Contact us at: Phone: (603)428-2344 Email: libraryhelp@nec.edu Website: www.nec.edu/library