This document provides guidance on how to evaluate the credibility of websites and online sources of information. It identifies important attributes to consider, such as the domain extension (.com, .edu, etc.), author credentials, date of publication/last update, presence of errors, purpose and structure. Less credible sources are more likely to contain advertising, dead links or poor organization. Government, educational and non-profit sites (.gov, .edu, .org) can generally be considered more trustworthy than commercial sites.

1. Selecting credible sources

2.  Who can put a website on the Internet?
Would you trust a website created by me
(your librarian)?

3.  I designed a website
about good books to
read?
 I designed a website
about ice hockey?
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4.  Domain Name
Web Page Author
 Currency
 Quality
 Structure
 Purpose
 Navigation

5.  .com
 .org
 .edu
 .net
 .gov
 .mil
 .kids
 .k12

6.  Commercial
 Likely selling something
 Can we trust a .com?

7.  Organization
 Could be public or private
 Can we trust a .org?

8.  http://www.myalli.com
 http://www.allireviews.org/
 Are these two sites all that different?

9.  Education
 Probably a college or university
 Can we trust a .edu?

10.  Network
 Almost always a person’s personal website
 Can we trust a .net?

11.  Government
 Can we trust a .gov?

12.  Military
 Can we trust
a .mil?

13.  Domain set aside by Congress to
house only good websites for kids
 Does not have chat rooms or
advertising
 Can we trust a .kids?

14.  A public school grades k-12
 Can we trust a .k12?

15.  Is the author’s name on the website?
 If so, what credentials does the author have?
 Can this author be trusted?
 Is the company’s name, organization, or
school’s name on the website?
 Can the company, organization, or school be
trusted?
 Is there an email address?
 Why would an email address matter?

16.  Does the website list the date it was created?
 Does the website list a date when it was last
updated or revised?

17.  Does the site contain accurate and beneficial
information?
 Is the site easy to read?

18.  Are there spelling or grammatical errors?

19.  To inform
 To persuade
 To explain
 To entertain

20.  Are there any dead links?
 Is the site well organized?

21.  Avoid the first few hits in a search—
companies PAY BIG BUCKS to get there
 Do a simple search on “knee pain”
www.google.com

22.  http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/

23.  http://www.michelesworld.net/Frogs/frog.h
tm
 http://www.defenders.org/frogs/basic-facts?
gclid=CLbay4-lv7ICFRSSPAodZw4AmA
 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-frog_
toad.html