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Evaluating Web Resources

All websites are not created equal.

Some have academic validity while others do not. That is, some have enough expertise that they provide reliable resources for your research, but the information and opinions of others are weak or inaccurate. Some websites are created by experts. For example, the University of Michigan Library’s website is authored by librarians with expertise in the field of information science. However, the vast majority of World Wide websites are designed and authored by non-experts.

How can you tell the difference? How do you know which websites are reliable? Use the following information to help you assess the websites you find in your research.

Authority and Accuracy

Who is the author and what are his/her qualifications? The author’s qualifications and expertise help determine the information’s credibility and reliability.

The website’s URL can help you determine the site’s origins and is a clue to who the author is:

  • individual person (~/al’s)
  • commercial company (.com)
  • academic institution (.edu)
  • government agency (.gov)
  • nonprofit organization (.org)
  • network of computers (.net)
  • military site (.mil)
  • country-sponsored site (.uk) ( United Kingdom)

When you find the website, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who is the author? Can you tell by the URL or web address?
  • What are the qualifications or expertise of the individual/group that created the site?
  • Does the website provide a way to communicate with the author or webmaster (e.g. email or postal address, telephone number, etc.)? Most reliable sites provide this information.

The information from the following kinds of organizations is generally regarded as reliable, because such institutions must meet standards for factuality and adequate research:

  • large, well-established academic institutions (colleges and universities)
  • reputable nonprofit organizations (such as The American Heart Association, PBS, etc.)
  • government agencies
  • large mainstream news sites (MSNBC.com, New York Times on the Web), which have to meet journalistic standards for credibility and factual accuracy

For example , statistics and information from a UNC-CH Department of History website, the American Diabetes Association, The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, and The Washington Post Online are probably reliable, whereas info from Maharishi Maresh Vindaloo’s College of Alternative Awareness, Hells’ Angels for Charity, and The Grudge Report: Eye on Washington might not be. The institution’s size and reputation, not just its type, are also clues to authority and accuracy.

Purpose and Content

Look closely at the information on the site. Some sites provide information about their organization or a mission statement, detailing the website’s purpose. The purpose of other sites is less obvious at first. Thoroughly explore the website to determine if the information is objective (factual), subjective (biased or opinionated), or mixed.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the website’s purpose to:
    • provide research and scholarly information?
    • entertain?
    • advertise, market, or sell something?
    • advocate ideas?
    • persuade you?
    • some other purpose?
  • Does the site present a mission statement or an about our organization page?
  • Does the site provide balanced, objective, or factual information?
  • Does the site provide subjective, editorial, or opinion statements?
  • Is the site a forum for a personal, political, or ideological view point?
  • Is the point of view presented in a direct manner, or is it presented in an unbalanced, unreasonable, or indirect way?
  • Are the arguments well supported?

Currency and Maintenance

Regularly updating information is vital for some subjects and less important for others. For example, websites on history, such as the presidential papers of George Washington, do not have to be updated as often as sites that provide news reports or stock market information. How well the site is presented and maintained can also indicate the care and resources invested in the site.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • When was the site last revised, modified, or updated?
  • Is the site well-maintained? (i.e. are the links current and working, or do they lead to outdated pages or error messages?)

Design, Organization, Ease of Use, and Appearance

Finally, design, organization, ease of use, and appearance are important considerations. websites can provide useful sources of information, but if they are slow to load, difficult to navigate, search, or read, their contribution and use may be compromised.

Sometimes a slick, finished appearance with attractive layout and good graphics is a clue to the amount of effort and hence expertise that went into creating the site. However, some very professional-looking sites may present weak or biased information. In contrast, some very informative and reliable sites (especially by academics) which have been created on a shoestring, lack graphics and glitz. Don’t let their modest appearance fool you. Take time to discover the creator’s credentials before deciding such sites are not worth your effort.

One surefire clue. A site containing numerous grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors is a site that lacks academic standards. Skip it, and find a more reliable source.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the website clearly organized and easy to use, read, and navigate?
  • If applicable, are HELP pages available? Are they easy to understand?
  • If the website is large, does it provide a search capability? Is the search capability easy to use?
  • Is the site full or grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors?

More on Evaluating Web Sources

For more information on how to evaluate websites, check the following websites:

Help for citing online resources may be found at: