Evaluating Websites

Criteria for Critical Analysis

During the course of research, many students turn to online resources.  Yet how many of these are trustworthy, and how can we differentiate the relevant and accurate sites and pages from the rest?  Here I have posted a few tools you can use to discern the utility of online resources:

• Is the author of the content listed? Is this author reputable?
• Does the information cite any sources? If so, are these reputable sites?
• To where does the site actively link?
• What is the date of the website’s last update?
• Who is hosting the site? (is the site’s host a high school or university, a government, or is it someone’s private site?
• Does the site display a particular bias?