How do you know if the information found on the Internet is good quality, authoritative information — or garbage?
Learn here how to evaluate web pages for quality in only 10 minutes.
When evaluating websites, consider the following:
Author: who is the author or sponsor of the site? Is it a person or organization? What are the author’s credentials? Is there contact information other than an email address?
Accuracy: Does the information appear accurate? Can it be verified, or are there citations, so you can evaluate where the information came from?
Bias: Does the site seem more biased or objective? Are any biases or perspectives openly stated? What is the purpose of the site and the information provided? Is the goal to sell? To persuade? To advocate an agenda? To inform? Why are advertisements (if any) there? Do they relate to the site?
The web site’s URL address may have one of the following abbreviations to identify the type of site and give you a clue regarding bias/objectivity: .edu = educational; .org = organization; .gov = government; .com = commercial; .net = network/utilities; .mil = military
Currency Does the information seem up-to-date? When was the site created or last updated?
Watch the video below to compare two different websites on the topic of renewable energy according to these factors.
Evaluating Websites – 5:02 minutes
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