This document discusses criteria for evaluating the trustworthiness and reliability of information found on websites: Credibility refers to the qualifications and trustworthiness of the source of the information. Accuracy means the information is consistent with other reliable sources and not obviously false. Bias/objectivity examines whether all viewpoints are represented or if the purpose is to entertain, persuade, or inform. Timeliness considers how recently the information was published and whether outdated information would impact its usefulness. Relevance evaluates whether the information is appropriate for the intended audience and topic.

1. Cultural Research on the Internet
What Web sites do you trust?

2. What Are We Looking For?
• Credibility
• Accuracy
• Bias/Objectivity
• Timeliness
• Relevance

3. Credibility
Do you trust the source
– Are they qualified?
– Can they be trusted?
– Will they stand behind
the information?
O’Halloran, Thomas. Walter Cronkite on Television, 1976.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_Cronkite_on_television_1976.jpg, Creative Commons License.

4. Credibility
Find out the person or organization that is responsible
for the information. In this case – learn more about the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

5. Credibility
Look for a Home page or “About Us” option. (Usually at
top or bottom of the page.)

6. Credibility
Learn about the purpose of the organization and the
web site. Make a decision – do you trust them, and are
they qualified to provide the information that you’re
seeking? (Yes – this site would be a trusted source of
information on Quinceanera.)

7. Credibility
This is from a blog. Who is the
writer (or writers), what are
their qualifications, and can you
trust them.
In this case, no information can
be found about the owner of
the Peppermint Paper blog. It is
not considered a credible
source.

8. Credibility
Check the history of the
article to see who wrote it…
What about this
Wikipedia article?…

9. Credibility
Recent contributors
include Snowolf and
FordPrefect42!
How would that look in
your Works Cited list?
Purplegothicqueen. "Arctic Wolf". http://www.flickr.com/photos/purplegothicqueen/5273329499/sizes/z/in/photostream/ (Creative commons)

10. Credibility
Go directly to the source
of the information!
But don’t forget to
evaluate the quality of
that source, too!

11. Credibility
What type of web site is it?.
This is from the Library of
Congress.
Government agencies are
considered a credible source.

12. Credibility
Address Example What is it? Credible?
includes:
.com or .net www.cnn.com Commercial or Depends on the web
www.angelfire.com/~joespage personal web site . Learn about
sites. the person/group
responsible
.gov www.epa.gov Government Yes
www.loc.gov Agencies
.edu www.psu.edu Educational Yes (usually)
www.si.edu Institutions Beware of student
web sites.
.org www.americanheart.org Organizations Learn about the
www.wikipedia.org organization, first.
www.martinlutherking.org Anybody can get a
“.org” address.
What does the web site’s address tell you?

13. Credibility
Use Google’s advanced search
to find specific types of web
sites. (.org, .gov)

14. Credibility
In this example, you will only
have government web sites in
your search results list.

15. Credibility – What do you think?
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/weddings/weddings.html

16. Credibility – What do you think?
What we know…
•Address is:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/weddings/weddings.html
•Who (person or organization) runs the web site?
•Found this at bottom right:
•Could not find out who
Russ Haggerty was.

17. Credibility – What do you think?
http://dublin.usembassy.gov/service/other-citizen-services/other-citizen-services/marriage-in-ireland.html

18. Credibility – What do you think?
What we know…
•Address is:
http://dublin.usembassy.gov/service/other-citizen-services/other-citizen-services/marriage-in-
ireland.html
•Who (person or organization) runs the web site?
•US Embassy
•Is the US Embassy a credible source?

19. Credibility
You might need to dig for your information:
• Look for an About Us option.
• Go to the web page’s home page.
• Try modifying the address:
– If this is your web address:
http://zapatopi.net/kelvin/kelvinmas/
– Take off the last “folder” or file so that it looks like this:
http://zapatopi.net/kelvin/
– Repeat until you find information about originator!
(http://zapatopi.net)
• Search the Internet for information about the person or
organization.

20. Credibility
Creative commons license: “ Steiner, Peter. “On the internet, nobody knows you’re
a dog.” (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Internet_dog.jpg)

21. Accuracy
Warning signs of doubtful accuracy:
• Do they provide references?
• Is the information consistent with other
sources?
• Shocking (unbelievable) information?
• Professional appearance?

22. Accuracy
Some web sites provide false
information as entertainment.

23. Accuracy
Some are Hoax web sites. They’re trying to
fool you! (Maybe just for fun)
http://www.fvza.org/index.html

24. Accuracy
Professional appearance:
•Easy or hard to read
•Subtle use of color & graphics
•Personal web pages
•Advertisements
http://www.angelfire.com/mac/jelly/custom/trad.html

25. Bias/Objectivity
• Are all viewpoints covered?
• Fact or opinion?
• Purpose? To…
– Entertain
– Persuade or sell
– Inform
• Is it emotionally charged?

26. Bias / Objectivity
Two web sites with different opinions on an issue.
•Both will probably give true information.
•Both will provide opinions.
•Both will promote facts that support their view, and downplay or
not include facts that argue against their view.
http://www.protectmarriage.com/why-marriage-matters and http://www.marriageequality.org/

27. Bias / Objectivity
Two web sites about tattoos – one is a York Tattoo Parlor, one is a
CDC “fact sheet”.
What is the purpose of the tattoo parlor web page?
What is the purpose of the CDC web page?
Who is more likely to be biased?

28. Timeliness
• How old is the information?
• Can you tell how old it is?
• Could it be out-of date?

29. Timeliness
If changing information is important,
then the date of your web site is
important, too!
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5347.html

30. Timeliness
If the information most likely has not
changed recently, then the date
published/written is less important.
http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu//zoser/zoser.html

31. Timeliness
Timeliness is important when the information
changes rapidly. (The more rapid change – the
more important timeliness is!)
• Technology
• Science
• Medicine
• News events

32. Timeliness – What do you think?
Would you rush out to
buy this ultrafast
laptop?
http://www.reviewsonline.com/articles/890244000.HTM

33. Timeliness – What do you think?
You’ve been craving some old-
fashioned apple pie – but this
recipe is over 15 years old!
(Is that a problem?)

34. Relevance
• Audience – who is the web site intended for?
• Is it too detailed or too vague?
• Coverage – does it cover the correct time
period or geographic area?
• Does it make sense to use this web page?

35. Relevance
For a college project about Botswana – would the Yahoo!Kids page
or the CIA Factbook page be more relevant for your research?
If your child in the 4th grade were doing the research, which would
be more relevant?
http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/world-factbook/country/bc--Botswana and https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/bc.html

36. Relevance
Which is a more relevant source for information on the Bar Mitzvah
tradition? The Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah page at Judaism 101, or
Larry’s Flickr photostream of his Bar Mitzvah?
http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maidelba/477727941/

37. What Are We Looking For?
• Credibility
• Accuracy
• Bias/Objectivity
• Timeliness
• Relevance