Evaluating websites

Look at the first cartoon posted on http://www.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.html.  What point does the cartoon make about the internet?

Imagine that you are conducting research and just found an article on the internet.  How do you know whether you can trust the website?  After all, anyone who knows how can create a website, so anyone can post false or outdated information on the internet.  

When you read an article, look for the author’s name and the person or company whose website you are visiting.  Ask yourself who the authors and the organization behind the websites are:

·         qualified experts?

·         companies who want to sell you their products?

·         political organizations that want you to vote in certain ways?

·         practical jokers pretending to be college professors?

Look closely at the website.  Are there any sections that tell you information about the author or the organization (such as an “About us” page)?  

Even if the author is trustworthy, what if the article was written fifteen years ago?  Is it still accurate?  Look on the website for the dates when the information was written, posted, or updated.

Your professor would not accept a research paper from you that did not cite its sources, so you should have the same standards when choosing which websites to include.  Do the authors cite their sources?  If so, decide if the sources seem reputable and up-to-date.  If not, the article could be worthless.

Read “Thinking Critically about Web Resources” at http://www.lib.neu.edu/online_research/help/thinking_critically/.  This article will help you understand how to tell which websites you probably can trust.

What do domain names mean?

What is the purpose of the website?  Is it to teach information, to entertain, to make money, or to persuade people to support a cause?  Look at the website’s domain name. A domain name is a label for websites that explains the sites’ purpose.

Domain	Stands for	Who runs it?	Examples
.com	Commercial	A business that is making money, perhaps from advertising or selling products	www.amazon.com, www.google.com
.org	Organization	Most .orgs are for non-profit agencies, but some are commercial	www.redcross.org, www.jcboe.org
.edu	Educational institutions	Accredited post-secondary (beyond high school) schools	www.ihe.edu, www.rutgers.edu
.gov	Government	Part of the government	www.senate.gov, www.jerseycitynj.gov
.biz	Business	A business`	www.operationjumpstart.biz
.info	Information	Any organization that shares information	www.cityrail.info, www.fetchbook.info
.pro	Professional	A professional organization	www.homeplace.pro, vendors.pro
.museum	Museum	A museum	amnh.museum