Ask the following questions before including a site in your research.
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Research 101: Evaluate Sources
Timeliness
When was the site created or updated?
Are there dead links to other sites?
Is the material out-of-date for your topic?
Relevance
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
Is the information presented at an appropriate age level?
How does the information compare with other sources about your topic?
Authority
Who is the author/creator of the site?
If an organization created the site, what is its mission?
Are the author’s qualifications or credentials available?
What is the site’s domain (government site urls end with .gov, academic sites end with .edu, association and organization sites end in .org, etc.)?
Accuracy
Are there typing or grammatical errors?
If statistical information is presented, is the source of the information documented?
Is the quality of the information similar to information from other sources (books, articles) on this topic?
Purpose
Is the goal of the site clearly stated?
Does the information appear to be the author’s opinion or is it factual?
Is the information biased toward or against a political, religious or social group?
Is the site meant to persuade? Educate? Sell a product?
