J. Clarence Kelly Library   Penn State Greater Allegheny

This guide will give you some information on how to correctly evaluate resources that you find on the web when you conduct your research.

1. Books
2. Articles
3. Web sites 
4. Oral histories 
5. Interviews

The World Wide Web has countless pages of information All web sites are not created equal, however. Some are more reliable or accurate than others.

How do you distinguish which web sites are a valuable resource to use for a bibliography? One way is using your "Critical Thinking Skills".

First, however, WHY do we need to evaluate and critique information resources, especially web sources, before we use it as a resource?

1.  Because anyone can publish a web site. You need to distinguish between fact and fiction, especially when looking at controversial issues.
2. Web-based information is rarely checked for accuracy by editors or fact-checkers.You might need to defend yourself.
3. If you're relying on the information given in a web site you want to make sure the information is correct.

What are the tools needed to evaluate information resources?

• Knowledge Base
• Critical Thinking
• Skill Evaluation Criteria

What is your Knowledge Base?

Your Knowledge Base is everything you know, everything you've seen,
everything you've touched, seen, smelled, felt, loved, hated, etc.
Everything in your mind.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is "the careful, deliberate determination of whether we
should accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim, and the degree of confidence with which we accept or reject it." --- Critical Thinking by Moore and Parker.

OR

The art of thinking about your thinking while you're thinking in order to make
your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, more defensible.

What are the Evaluation Criteria?

1. Two Kinds of Information (Primary vs. Secondary)
2. Scholarly vs. Popular
3. Authority (Qualifications)
4. Currency
5. Objectivity (Biased vs Neutral)
6. Accuracy
7. Uniform Resource Locator (URL)  

1. Two Kinds of Information (Primary vs Secondary)

Primary Information:

Is the information written BY someone?
Example: a book written BY Albert Einstein about the theory of relativity, a song written BY Dave Matthews, an oral history project, interviews with Native Americans, steelworkers, etc.

Secondary Information:

Is the information written ABOUT someone?
Example: a book written ABOUT Einstein's theory of relativity, an article or web site ABOUT Dave Matthews, etc.

 2. Scholarly vs. Popular

Scholarly:

• Does it provide footnotes or a bibliography?
• Is it written by a researcher or scholar in the field?
• Is the author affiliated with a college or university?
• Is it an original report or experiment?
• Is it published by a scholarly or university press?

Popular:

• Is it written to entertain?
• Is it short and in simple language?
• Usually does not state qualifications of the author.
• Usually published by commercial publishers.  

3. Authority

• Is there a stated author/organization/affiliation?
• Is the author qualified?
• Check author's background/qualifications/past work.

4. Currency

• What is the date of the web site (or article)?
• When was the site updated?
• When is currency not an issue?  

5. Objectivity

• Is it biased or intended to sway?
• Is it neutral and give both sides of an issue?

6. Accuracy

• Are the sources of facts clearly stated so the information can be verified?
• Is statistical data clearly labeled?
• Is the information free of grammatical and typographical errors?

7. Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

The URL or Top-Level Domain Name often provides a clue as to who produced the web site.

 

.edu = education institution (http://www.psu.edu)

.gov = government (http://whitehouse.gov)

.org = private or nonprofit organization (http://thearc.org)

.com = commercial site (http://www.pepsi.com)

.mil = military site (http://www.army.mil)

.net = network site (http://www.infoquip.net)
.aero = air transport industry

Newer/Recent Top-Level Domains approved by ICANN.

.biz = businesses
.coop = cooperatives
.info = unrestricted use
.int = international treaties
.museum = cultural institutions
.pro = professional (accountants, lawyers, physicians)
.name = global name registry (registration by individuals)

*Note: names in a URL may mean a personal home page (may have a ~).

 

Developed by Donna Brodish, Assistant Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University ©2001
Modified from a handout created by Kay Harvey, Head Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University

Permission is granted for unlimited non-commercial use of this guide.