This document provides guidance on evaluating the credibility and reliability of websites and other online sources. It discusses several important criteria for evaluation, including the author's credentials, the sponsoring organization, date of publication, potential biases, and clues that can be gleaned from the URL. The key message is that careful evaluation of sources is important when making decisions or conducting research to ensure the information is credible, reliable and relevant. Students are assigned an activity to practice evaluating a website based on these criteria.

1. The Next Step…
Deeper yet into the
Research Pyramid…

2. Giving credit….
This slide show is based on the original
created by Joyce Valenza
http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/jvweb.html

3. Hey there!
Have you evaluated?
Is that site
good enough to cite?

4. Remember:
Anyone can publish
anything
on the Web!
It is your job, as a
researcher, to look for
quality!

5. Hmmm.
This one looks good.
How can I tell
for sure?

6. Question Authority!!

7. CREDIBILITY / AUTHORITY
Who is the author?
Why is he or she an expert? (experience?
Education?)
Is this a personal page? (Clues: ~ tilde,
%, users, members)
Is it part of a major institution?
Is the page hosted by a free server like
AOL Members, Tripod, Geocities?

8. Look for credibility clues!
Words and phrases to look for:
• About us, Who Am I, FAQs, For
More, Company Information,
Profiles, Our Staff, Home
• Search for the author in a search
engine or online database
• Ask your teacher-librarian for help

9. Truncate the URL
Delete characters in the address line up to
the next slash mark to see if a main page offers
more information about who is responsible for
publishing the page you are interested in.
Go from:
http://pathology.uth.tmc.edu/courses/BT2003/BTstudents2003_files
%5CPlague2003.htm
TO
http://pathology.uth.tmc.edu/

10. What can you
learn from a URL?
• You can use the end, or suffix of a
domain name to help you judge the
validity of the information and the
potential bias of a website.
• This strategy is not always
accurate.

11. URLs as clues to content
.com=commercial sites (vary in their credibility)
.gov=U.S. government site
.org=organization, often non-profit.
Some have strong bias and agendas
.edu=school or university site (is it K–12?
By a student? By a scholar?)
.store=retail business
.int=international institution
.ac=educational institution (like .edu)
.mil=U.S. military site
.net=networked service provider, Internet
administrative site
.museum=museum
.name=individual Internet user
.biz=a business
.pro=professional’s site
~=personal site

12. What do their URLs reveal
about these sites?
http://personal.statecollege.edu/~ejv114/
http://www.fi.edu/wright/index.html
http://www.house.gov/house/Legproc.html
http://aolmembers.com/joyciev328/civalwarsong

13. RELIABILITY
Does the source present a particular view or bias?
Sometimes a bias is useful for persuasive essays or
debates.
Recognizing bias
is important.

14. RELEVANCE
• Does this information directly support
my hypothesis/thesis or help to answer
my question?
• Does the source give you enough
information?

15. DATE
• When was this information
created?
• Revised?
• (Be suspicious of undated
material.)

16. So, why should we care
about all of this?

17. There are bigger questions in life!
You will be using information to
make important decisions!
• Which car should I buy?
• Which doctor should I choose?
• Should my child have this surgery?
• Should I take this medication?
You want to be able to ensure the
information you choose is reliable, credible,
current, balanced, relevant, and accurate!

18. Evaluation is
important!
Learn to be fussy!

19. ASSIGNMENT - Day #4
By the end of Day 4:
• Find at least 1 quality WEB PAGE.
GRADE ALERT!! To get credit for today:
1. Give the librarian a completed PINK
citation sheet
2. Make sure you complete BOTH sides.

20. ASSIGNMENT - Day #5
By the end of Day 5:
GRADE ALERT!! To get credit for today:
1. Check with the librarian to find out if all
your assignments have been handed in.
2. Make suggested corrections on the
citation sheets that have been graded.
3. Read your sources and take notes.

21. Let’s try it out!
→

22. Author & Sponsoring Organization
Are the Most Important Criteria
Take a look at this site:
(Be sure to use the evaluation checklist on the back of
your pink web citation slip)
After 9/11

24. Have You Been Googlized?
There ARE other search engines.

25. Don’t Forget…..
· Use Boolean Search Operators
AND
OR
NOT
“Phrase in quotes”
* (Truncation)