We ALL know that isn't true. But we do have a tendency to WANT to believe things we find for ourselves. It just makes life easier. And it makes us feel a little bit smarter than the other guy.
But things aren't always how they first appear to be. And the internet is the ultimate case of
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So you have to know how to evaluate them. The key to evaluating web pages is asking and answering the 6 big questions reporters try to answer in every story...
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Who wrote the page? What are the person's qualifications? How do you know? Can you contact them? Who is the intended audience? |
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What isn't here? What has been left out? Are opposing viewpoints presented? What is the source of the site's information? Is it cited? Are sources presented fairly? |
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Why does this site exist? (What is it selling? A product, a person, or a point of view?) |
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Where is this web site located? What is the URL (or domain)? Are the final letters .com, .edu, .net, .org, or .gov or one of the newer extensions? What does it mean? Remember: anybody can publish a web page and create a title and organization. |
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When was the page last updated? How old are the sources? Is the information current? Will the site still be in place next week? Next month? Next year? |
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How balanced is the material? How relevant is it to your topic? How much substance is there in relation to fluff or unsubstantiated information? |
For your convenience, these questions have been put together in an online form. At this time, this form is not in a downloadable format, but such a version will be forthcoming.
And REMEMBER, if you have trouble with this, or any other stage in the research process, you can ask for Help! Ask your teacher! Ask Librarians! If you need to, just hit the PANIC button! |
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For information about this, or any other
Library Web Page, contact the
Library.
©Ruth B. Lindemann, 2002 Danville Area
Community College
11/26/02
Revised 7/27/04
