Use the following criteria when evaluating websites to use in research projects.
Page Contents:
Website Attributes
Authority
- Who is responsible for the website? Are they credible and do they have the expertise to discuss this topic?
- Domains may include the following endings which provide clues as to who produced the material:
- .com - commercial site
- .edu - educational site
- .gov - government site
- .mil - military site
- .org - association or professional organization, often non-profit
- .net - network service provider
- Publisher & Author
- Who published it? Is she/he an expert on this topic?
- Look for an author and his/her affiliations.
Relevance
Does this web site provide information to answer my research questions?
Currency
- What is the copyright date of the information?
- Is this pertinent to my topic?
Appearance & Source
- How does it look?
- Does it appear to be a professional or personal website?
- How did you find it?
- Did you choose it at random from a Google search, or was it linked to in another trustworthy resource?
Accuracy
- Does the information appear to be accurate based on everything else I know about the topic?
- Can I check the facts?
Date & Location
- When was it published or last updated? Is the information outdated?
- Where was it published? And where did it appear?
Bias
VERY IMPORTANT
- Are the authors or the the sponsoring institution trying to sway me to take a side?
- Do they have a hidden agenda?
Purpose
- What is the agenda? Is the author trying to sell you a product or convince you of his or her opinion?
- Why does this website exist? Is its purpose to inform, to sell a product, or to convince you of an idea?
Fact Checkers
Some websites investigate claims for accuracy. They may focus on political statements, entertainment news, rumors, and urban legends. Some reliable fact checkers include the following:
- Politifact: Pulitzer Prize winning site run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times (Florida) newspaper. Rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.
- FactCheck.org: A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania that serves as a “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
- OpenSecrets.org: Investigates the statements of national and international political figures.
- Snopes: Researches urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
- Duke Reporters' Lab: Includes a database of global fact-checking sites, which can be viewed as a map or as a list.