The 5 W’s to Evaluating Web Site Authenticity

Who Wrote the Information? The author should always provide their name and qualifications somewhere in the article. How is someone qualified to write a web page on open heart surgery if they are not a doctor or patient? The author should always state their experience and/or current employment.

What is the purpose of the web site? Was the web site created as a joke? Was it meant to inform the reader or to persuade the reader to take a side? You need to decide! In the year 1999 some people created web sites telling people the end of the world would come on New Years Eve. Were they trying to persuade, inform or tell a joke?

When was the site created? If the site has not been updated in a few months or weeks, the information may no longer be true. For example, do you think a web site detailing the number of drunk driving deaths this year is valid if it has not been updated since 1995?

Where did the information come from? We are always told to cite our sources in the bibliography when we write a paper. The same is true for web pages. The author should tell the audience where they received their information by citing books and web sites in their bibliography or somewhere else in the web site.

Why is the information useful? When you decide to use a web site for information, make sure it is useful to your report or project. Make sure it is providing the information you need before you cite the web site as a source of information. If the site is not useful, find another one!