Module 6

Introduction
Because of the variety of sources, ease of publication, lack of central control and
proliferation of commercial information on the free Internet, it is often hard to tell if the
information you are accessing is reliable. Many sites contain research and information
of high quality. However, unlike traditional print publications or library-based electronic
resources, there is usually no process of peer review, nor is there an editor verifying the
accuracy of information presented on the Internet. There are increasing numbers of
sites containing information which may be incomplete, anonymously written, out-of-date,
biased, or whose content may not be factual. In some cases, an Internet site may be
akin to an electronic tabloid publication.

Since you should never automatically accept the information you are retrieving at face
value, how do you find the most credible Internet resources? How do you decide if a
source or an author of a website is qualified to discuss the subject presented?
Identifying the type of Internet source you are considering and asking some basic
questions about the source will help you in the evaluation process. You will become a
consumer of information rather than misinformation.

When Should You Use the Internet?

Even though this course is about the Internet, and the Internet does contain a wealth of
valuable information, it may not be the most appropriate source for you at any given
time. Contrary to popular myth, many information resources cannot be found on the
Internet! Current books, texts, and full-text journal articles may not be freely available on
the Internet. Internet sources tend to be recent. Information prior to 1993 is generally
not available unless it is free of copyright restrictions. In some instances, the Internet
may serve to supplement information from traditional resources but may not replace
those sources.

Although it is increasingly easy to find audio files, video files, illustrations, and
information in multimedia formats, the Internet is still primarily a text environment.
Consequently, there may be times when the “old-fashioned” way of looking for
information, such as looking something up in a reference book, will provide the answer
you need in five minutes, when it may take an hour on the Internet to find similar
information. In all cases, use the information tool which is most appropriate; when that
tool is the Internet, this lesson will help ensure that you use credible sites.

Types of Internet Sites

Internet sites originate from a variety of sources and contain an equally wide variety of
types of information, including advertising, personal stories and narratives, biographical
information, business memos, news, research, and statistics, as well as articles from
professional journals and publications. It is important to determine exactly what type of
resource you are viewing and to understand any underlying biases that may make the
source an inappropriate one.

Your Internet sources must be analyzed individually. Not all education and government
pages or sites will be appropriate for your particular research need; likewise, a
commercial resource is not necessarily an inappropriate source of information. The
following comprise the major categories of Internet resources:

Government Sites
Government (federal, state, local) sites may provide laws, statistics, health information,
timely information on issues concerning all citizens, or information about government
agencies. These sites are not only some of the most widely available on the Internet,
but some of the most useful and reliable. The domain name .gov is an indication that
the site is a governmental one, although some government agencies use other domain
names. The U.S. Military uses the .mil domain name. Some typical government sites
include the following:

● CDC Travel Information

● THOMAS: Legislative information from the Library of Congress
The United States Government Publishing Office

Many state or county sites have now adopted the domain .us. For example, the official
website of the Florida Legislature is http://leg.state.fl.us

Another exception to the rule is MyFlorida: The Official Portal of the State of Florida.
The domain of this page is .com.
Education Sites
Education sites may provide scholarly works from academic departments, course
syllabi, class schedules, home pages of colleges and high schools, online courses,
library catalogs, and links to information databases. Education sites tend to be reliable,
although individual student or faculty pages may vary in authority. The domain name
.edu is an indication that the site is from an institution of education (such as a college or
university), although not all education sites have such a domain name. Some typical
education sites include the following:

● University of Florida Digital Collections

● Harvard University Library Home Page
● Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Non-Profit/Advocacy Sites
A non-profit site is one sponsored by an organization attempting to influence public
opinion. Non-profit organizations may provide studies, statistics and resources. Often
their information contains some bias towards their viewpoint. The domain name .org is
an indication that the site is from a non-profit or advocacy group. Some typical sites
include the following:

● National Organization for Women

● National Rifle Association of America
● People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

News Sites
The primary purpose of a news site is to provide current information about newsworthy
topics. In many cases, these sites will provide the most up-to-date information available.
Most major metropolitan newspapers and television news networks maintain websites.
As these are commercial operations, the domain name .com will most frequently be
found with a news site. Some typical news sites include the following:

● CNN
● MSNBC
● The Washington Post
● USA Today
Business/Marketing Sites
A business or marketing Web page is one sponsored by a commercial enterprise.
Business sites may provide resources such as annual reports, company histories, stock
quotes, and product advertising. These sites may actively promote the sale of items.
The domain name .com will be most frequently found with this type of site. Some typical
business sites are the following:

● Dow Jones & Company

● Gardener's Supply Company
● Starbucks

Advertisements/Webfomercials
Increasingly, many websites are supported by advertisements. Web advertisements are
usually presented as banners, hyperlinks, or pop-up windows. As an information
consumer, it is your job to decide whether there is a conflict of interest between the
sponsor and the objectivity of the website. The presence or absence of advertisements
does not automatically brand a website as authoritative or unreliable, objective or
biased. Sites must be evaluated individually according to the criteria in the Evaluation
Questions (below). A webfomercial is comparable to a television infomercial. If a
commercial site disguises itself as an informational site, it should be viewed cautiously.

Evaluation Questions
You may not be a subject expert in the area you are researching, but there are a
number of basic things you can look for to help you evaluate the credibility of an Internet
site. In addition to a number of characteristics, which are easy to ascertain, there are
additional elements that require more analysis. The following are some questions you
should ask when considering whether or not to use an Internet source.
Authority/Source Questions
 Is there an identified author of the Web page or site?
 Is contact information, i.e., an e-mail address and/or address, given for the
author?
 Are the credentials of the author stated?
 Is the author an expert in his/her field?
Hint: Look up the author in a biographical reference source.
 Have others, either in the print media or electronic sources, cited the author?
Hint: If possible, do a search on the author's name in a "citation style" index or a
"keyword" index or look in bibliographies of other sources.
  Have other web pages linked to this page or site?
Hint: In Google, search link: and the URL of a website (ex: link:www.irsc.edu) to
see which sites are linked to a certain page.
 Does the site comply with current copyright guidelines?
 Is this site sponsored by an organization? If so, is the purpose and scope of the
organization given? Is a phone number and surface mail address given for the
organization, in addition to an e-mail address?
Hint: If you cannot tell if the site is sponsored by an organization, erase the
address from the right down to the domain name. This should display the home
page of the organization.

Currency/Date Questions

 How current is the information?

 When was the site or page last updated?
 Is the original copyright date posted?
 Does the site or page aim to provide current information or is it primarily for
historical purposes?
 How up-to-date are the links on the site?
 Is the information timely in relation to the content?
 If the site or page provides time sensitive information, is the frequency of updates
posted?

Objectivity/Bias Questions

 Does the site have a bias?

Hint: If the site deals with a controversial topic, look for an identification of the
author's bias.
 Is there a commercial or organizational interest associated with the site?
Hint: Be aware that organizations, businesses, and individuals represent their
own viewpoints in information presented through their websites. Organizations
with a particular mission (e.g., environmental organizations) may publish only
information that supports their point of view. Businesses may publish positive
reviews of their own products and events. Also, be aware that a personal website
may reflect strong political, religious, or social opinions of that individual.
 Are there advertisements on the page? Is the page actually an ad disguised as
information?
Hint: Sometimes this is obvious; other times it may be very subtle. Look at the
source of the site.
 Is the site based on verifiable facts or opinions?
Hint: Look for bibliographies and references to traditional publications.
  Are inflammatory words, phrases or profanity used in the site?
Hint: Look for personal attacks, ridicule and the use of emotional appeals rather
than rational ones.
 Are misleading or deceptive arguments used?
Hint: Look for over-simplification of information, scare tactics, testimonials, over-
generalizations, categorical statements, and exaggerations that are intended to
persuade.
 Are there fallacies in arguments and reasoning?
Hint: Look for distorted data, information presented out-of-context, unstated
assumptions, bandwagon persuasion techniques and other logical fallacies.
Because of the capabilities of hypertext, it is easy to jump into a site at any point;
this can lead to unintentionally viewing information out-of-context. Go back to the
top of the page and read the purpose of the information. Become familiar with the
surrounding text.
 Are stereotypes or ethnocentric arguments used?

Accuracy Questions

 Does the page use correct spelling and grammar? Is the writing clear and
concise?
Hint: Only if the native language of the Web designer is not English should minor
spelling and grammatical inconsistencies be overlooked. Spelling and
grammatical errors point to lack of quality control.
 Is the information presented verifiable and accurate?
Hint: Verify questionable facts, statistics, etc. with a reputable print source. Don't
depend on one source for all of your information, especially if you are not familiar
with the topic.

Coverage Questions
 How complete and thorough is the coverage of the information presented?
Hint: Compare the website with another on the same topic or with a print source.
Knowing something about the topic will help you identify any obvious gaps or
omissions in the coverage of the topic.

Relevancy Questions
 Is the purpose or goal of the resource clearly stated?
Hint: Look for links that say "About Us" "Philosophy" or "Mission."
 Does this Web page closely relate to what I need?
 Does the content support my thesis statement?
 Is the content too broad or narrow for my needs?
  Is there original content or is the page a collection of links?

Audience Questions
 Does the site state its intent?
 Is the site directed to a specific audience?
Hint: Look for the depth and tone of the site to help identify the audience.
 If the site claims to provide scholarly research, are references available?
 Is the content of the site appropriate for your research needs?
Hint: A site designed for elementary school children would probably not be
appropriate for a college research paper.

Consensus Questions
 How does this Web page or site compare with others on the same subject?
 How does this Web page or site compare with print sources or proprietary
electronic sources on the same subject?
 Does the page or site contain references to other websites, articles, books, etc?
 Does the information presented agree or disagree with an accepted point of
view?
Hint: Compare the site with others on the same topic to help answer these
questions.

Design Questions
 Is the website easy to read and navigate? Are instructions clear?
Hint: Look for type styles and backgrounds that make the pages clear and
readable, identifiable links that are logically grouped, and a consistent layout
from page to page with a link back to the home page from each underlying page.
 Does the site load quickly?
Hint: Look for large, superfluous graphics, which add nothing to the page, but
slow down access.
 Are there links to other pages and back to the main page? Are links up-to-date
and active?
 Do design elements enhance or hinder the accessibility and content of the site?
 Does the site have stable and reliable access?
 Is a text version available?

You should ask yourself these questions whenever you are evaluating a source. A
Resource Evaluation Checklist is provided in Module 8. Use this information and the
checklist when choosing sources for your final project, the annotated bibliography.
 Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 License Copyright 1997-2015 Florida
Community College, Learning Resources Standing Committee. Last revised June, 2015 by the LIS 2004 Course
Revision Committee