Website Evaluation Using the internet for research
People prefer reassurance to research American astrophysicist
CABCAR Content Authority Bias Currency Accuracy Relevance
Content Is the content reliable, accurate, and documented? What do others say about this site, sponsor, or author? Is it reasonable, fair, balanced, and concerned with the truth? Is it the appropriate coverage of the information that you need? Martin Luther King
Authority Is the author an authority on your subject? What are their credentials, affiliations, sponsorships? Are they credible? Can you contact them? *Google the author and see what you can learn! On what domain is the Internet address?.gov,.mil,.edu,.com,.net, org The WhitehouseThe Whitehouse The WhitehouseThe WhitehouseThe Whitehouse
Look for credibility clues! When there is no author: o Words and phrases to look for:About us, Who Am I, FAQ’s o If you have no information other than an link, write a polite asking for more information. Do a link check (or what do others think?) o In Google type:link: o Your results will show other sites that have chosen to link to this page. If respectable institutions have linked to the site that you are using, it can provides a clue about the site’s credibility. Beware of Hoax sites: Two sites on Cloning— o CloningCloning Cloning
Bias Why was this information written? (Remember the MLK site?) What is the website's purpose? Is it to inform, persuade entertain, sell?
Currency What is the date of this document? When was it last updated? Are many links broken? Keep track of the date you access each site for your bibliography.
Accuracy How much information do you need? Is the information accurate, factual, detailed, exacting, and complete. Is the subject treated with the appropriate amount of depth and breadth for your purposes? Consider using a subscription database such as EBSCOhost from the Santa Cruz Public Library. EBSCOhost from the Santa Cruz Public Library
Relevance How well does this support your academic task? Does this answer the question at hand? Did you use the right keywords to get the right results? Try a Google Advanced SearchGoogle Advanced Search
Fact Checkers Snopes Politifact Media Matters Media Research Center Feeling frustrated? Check with your librarian for advice!
Just as you evaluate your sources… Your teacher will evaluate your work based on the quality of the sources you select. ASK YOURSELF: Is this site good enough to cite? Use KnightCite or another citation generator to help you create your Works Cited and Bibliography.KnightCiteanother citation generator Quality always counts!