EVALUATING SOURCES HOW DO I DETERMINE A RESOURCE’S CREDIBILITY?

Criteria for Evaluation A good researcher must evaluate the quality of information he/she finds. There are several sources of information including: books magazine articles newspaper articles television programs web sites and more… Be skeptical of the information you find. A good way to evaluate information: compare and contrast different resources.

Website Evaluation Criteria Because there is no one monitoring the quality of information on the internet, you MUST evaluate the reliability of a website whenever you use one as a source of information in your research. Use these ABC’s of Website Evaluation: Authority Accuracy Bias Currency

Authority Authority = The information is written by someone who is qualified to discuss the topic. Questions to ask: Who is the author? Is he/she an expert? Is there an included biography and/or contact information? Who is the sponsoring organization of the information?

.com,.edu,.gov,.net,.org… We can sometimes use the website’s extension (aka domain extension) to help us evaluate sources. Here are a few examples of common website extensions:.com.edu.gov.net.org.mobi.biz.info.mil

.com,.edu,.gov,.net,.org….com is short for the word “commercial” and is the most common extension. Reputable businesses prefer a.com domain name because of its familiarity and long-standing reputation as a quality domain..net is short for the word “network” and is most commonly used by the Internet service companies which supply hosting, domains, Internet connections, and more..org is short for the word “organization” and is primarily used by non-profits and trade groups.

.com,.edu,.gov,.net,.org….edu is used by educational institutions..gov is used by government institutions..mil is used by military institutions..biz is used by small business web sites..info is for credible resource web sites such as online “fact finders.”.mobi (short for "mobile") is reserved for web sites built for easy viewing on mobile devices.

If you can’t find the author, here are some clues to look for... Words and phrases to look for: About us, Who Am I, FAQs, For More, Company Information, Profiles, Our Staff, Home the author If you have no information other than an link, write a polite asking for more information. If you have an author’s name but no further information about credentials... Search the name in a search engine Include words like profile, resume, or C.V. (curriculum vitae-- an academic resume) to narrow your name search You might also include the name of a college or association you can connect with the person

Accuracy Accuracy = The information can be found in multiple sources. Rule of thumb: If you can find the information in three or more separate sources, it is reliable. Questions to Ask: Can you verify the background and/or factual information the author uses? Does the page site its sources? Do the links lead somewhere? Are there suggestions for further reading? Does the page use correct spelling and grammar?

Bias Bias = The information is free of prejudice. Questions to Ask: Is a prejudice easily recognizable? Is the information presented fair, balanced, and reasonable? Is the site trying to sell a product, service, or idea?

Currency Currency = The information is up to date. Questions to Ask: When was the information/data gathered? What date was the information put on the web (copyright date)? When was the website last updated? Is it a problem if the information has not been updated in the last year?