Library Lesson: Evaluating Online Sources

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Effectively evaluate information found on the open web

Check audio on your computer or have headphones ready.

Did you know there is an easy way to search by type of website (or domain)?  

Use Google Advanced Search to do just that.  

Finding .EDU and .GOV sites will take no time at all!

Step 1:  Type your search into a regular Google search box.

Step 2:  Look to the right of the search box.  Click on the Settings icon.

Step 3:  Scroll down and select Advanced Search.

Step 4:  Halfway down the page there is an open box called Site or Domain.  Type in the domain you want to limit to.  Ex:  .gov, .edu, .org

You can also look for images or content that is licensed specifically to be shared. This is helpful if adding images to a presentation. 

Follow the steps above to get to the Advanced Search. 

Look at the bottom of the form for Usage Rights. Change the selection to: Free to Use or Share.

.GOV Government: A local or federal government site.

.EDU Education: A site affiliated with an institution of education.

.ORG Organization: And advocacy website like a non-profit organization.

.NET Network: A site from a etwork organization or Internet provider, often a personal site.

.COM Commercial: A business or commercial site.

In the library we get this question all the time.  Watch the video to learn more about how Wikipedia is viewed academically.

To help determine of you are looking at a credible website use this checklist to ask questions about the website. If you can't find the answers to most of these questions, then it may be best to look for another website. 

Ask yourself:

• Who is the author, source or publisher?
• Is the author qualified to write on this topic?
• Is there contact information, address, or email?

Ask yourself:

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the best one to use?

Ask yourself:

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic?
• Are the links functional?

Ask yourself:

• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or by your own knowledge?
• Are you able to fact check the information?

Ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of the information?
• To inform? To teach? To sell? To persuade?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
• Does the website address reveal anything about the website?

Watch this short video to learn how to apply the evaluation criteria to your sources.