Authority

• Who created this site?
• Do they provide information on their background, experience, and credentials?
• Is the site maintained by a well-known or reputable organization (e.g. the American Psychological Association, American Cancer Society, etc.)?

Objectivity and Reliability

• Are the facts that are known to you reliable?
• Is the coverage objective? If not, is the bias clearly stated?
• Is the site sponsored by a commercial organization? Is it trying to sell you something?

Scope

• Who is the intended audience? Is this site for scholarly purposes or just for fun?
• Are both sides of an issue or topic provided?
• What geographical area is covered?
• What time period is covered?
• Is this the original document or has it been edited or abridged in some way?

Currency

• Does the site give a date when it was last updated?
• If so, has it been updated recently?
• Is some of the information clearly out of date?
• Are there many links that are broken and no longer connect to the resources listed? Broken links can be an indicator that a site is not being updated regularly.

More Information

If you have questions about evaluating Internet sources, contact a librarian.