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Evaluating Information on the Internet

Anne Jacobs

So you’ve found online sources for your research paper. Great. Now that you’ve found the information, how do you know if it’s credible? Remember, the information on the Internet is not regulated or verified by anyone. You have to be responsible for evaluating the information you find.

Here are some tips to help you decide if online information is valid.

  • Consider the source. This is a good practice for printed information as well. Who is the author? What are his or her credentials? If credentials are listed, can you verify them? Does the web site link to or from a site that you trust?1 Is there any way to contact the person or organization responsible for the web site?2

  • When was it written? Trustworthy sources will name the date the site was created and when the page was updated.3

  • Is it accurate? Some preliminary research at the library can provide valuable background information about the topic to help you evaluate whether the web sites you find are helpful or blatantly off the mark.4 Find out if anyone reviews or edits the web sites you find.

  • Check citations. If the author lists references, look them up. Are they quoted within context? Are the sources credible?5

A little skepticism can help you be a better researcher. Just remember, you can’t believe everything you read.

1Kathleen Schrock. “The ABCs of Web Site Evaluation.” Classroom Connect, December 1998/January 1999, http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/pdf/weval_02.pdf.

2Angela Elkordy. “Evaluating Web-based Resources: A Practical Perspective.” June 2000, http://www.thelearningsite.net/cyberlibrarian/elibraries/eval.html.

3Kathleen Schrock. “The ABCs of Web Site Evaluation.” Classroom Connect, December 1998/January 1999, http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/pdf/weval_02.pdf.

4Ibid.

5Angela Elkordy. “Evaluating Web-based Resources: A Practical Perspective.” June 2000, http://www.thelearningsite.net/cyberlibrarian/elibraries/eval.html.

Anne Jacobs is a freelance journalist for the NetSmartz Workshop® at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®.