Topics

Evaluating Sources

The Internet is a great source of information but like any research tool, it is important to evaluate the material you find. Anyone can put up a Website and it’s up to you to determine if the information you find is correct. You can evaluate sources by asking the following questions:

Who produced this site and why? Consider the authority of a site before you decide to use its information. Is the creator qualified to write on a particular subject? Is the material original? Is the site endorsed by a reputable organization?

A Website should tell you who created it and why. Usually there will be an “about us” or “mission” link that will lead you to this information. Domain names (Web addresses) can also give you a clue about who produced the site. Domain names can end in:

.com Commercial sites
.edu Universities & Colleges
.gov Government
.mil Military
.net Any type of Web site
.org Non-commercial sites

Is the information accurate? The information in a Website should be factual and complete. When an argument is made, evidence should be presented to back up the writer’s opinion. Is the information objective? Take note of how the information is presented when evaluating a source. This can give you an indication of whether its creator has a bias. Having a bias does not necessarily mean that the information is incorrect but you should be aware that not all sides of an issue have been presented.

Is this site current and does it matter? Depending on the kind of information you need, currency may or may not matter to you. If it does, make sure the site you are using is updated regularly. Look for a date that tells you when the Website was created and when it was last revised. Also, if you’re finding a lot of dead links you may be at a site that has not been updated recently.

Will this cost money? Sometimes Websites will offer information for a fee. As a student, there is no need for you to pay for information. Your library can help you find free information either on the Internet, in books, or in articles found in library research databases.

Search Tips
Keep your search simple. Pick out only the most important words to search with. For example:

Don’t search for “I’m looking for information on the global apparel industry”
Do search for “global apparel” or “global apparel industry”
Use synonyms. If you’re not getting good results try words that are similar
Try: Global or international or the name of a specific country
If you’re getting too many results, narrow your subject
For example, a report on Terrorism could be narrowed to Airport Security or U.S. Immigration Policy
If you’re not getting enough results, broaden your subject.

Feeling overwhelmed?
Here’s an easy solution. Sites like The Internet Public Library will eliminate some of the guesswork of choosing an appropriate site by providing a short list of Websites grouped together on specific topics. The IPL site is pretty helpful thanks to University of Michigan’s School of Information and Library Studies.

Now that you have some skills to help you evaluate Websites, here’s a little help in deciding if using the Internet is right for your project.

The Internet is good for researching everything right? While the Internet can be a valuable research tool, it is not good for everything. Every tool has a purpose. For example, dictionaries are great for defining words right? But you wouldn’t use them to look up a phone number. The same is true for the Internet. It has a lot of information but it doesn’t have everything. Here are some problems you may encounter on the Internet:

Information overload-It’s time consuming and sometimes overwhelming to sift through search results.
Incomplete information-Websites often have bits and pieces of information as opposed to sources that present the “big picture”. It can mean more work for you to piece together information than to find it in a single book.
Inaccuracy-Anyone can put up a web site. Sometimes the information is good and sometimes it isn’t. Book publishers employ fact-checkers and editors. Anyone can “publish” on the Internet and many web site producers don’t check facts.
Lack of information-Some information is not available online and comes in expensive databases and books. Think about it, producers of this information want to get paid right? So why would they let you view their work for free? This info ends up being packaged and sold to consumers including libraries. You get to view it for free in library research databases and books!

What are internet sources good for?
Lots of things, of course! Here are just a few. You can use the Internet to:

Get information from reputable organizations such as academic institutions, museums, associations, etc.
Go to the source! If you’re writing a paper on Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc., use the library research databases but also go to their Website. You will find lots of valuable information using this strategy.
Get Contact Information. Use phone directories or Websites to find phone numbers and call people relevant to your research when looking for hard-to-get information.
Find current news. Most major newspapers have Websites with articles about the latest world events. Many of the articles can be read free of charge.

Download this file as PDF