EVALUATING INTERNET RESOURCES
“The Internet is a self-publishing medium. This means that anyone with a small amount of
technical skill and access to a host computer can publish on the Internet. It is important to
remember this when you locate sites in the course of your research. Internet sites change
over time according to the commitment and inclination of the creator. Some sites
demonstrate an expert’s knowledge, while others are amateur efforts. Some may be updated
daily, while others may be outdated. As with any information resources, it is important to
evaluate what you find on the Internet."
Cohen, L., “Conducting Research on
the Internet”,
http://www.albany.edu/library/internet/research.html
INTERESTING SITES
Dehydrated Water
Victorian Era Robot
Poptarts
When evaluating Internet resources, consider the following:
1. Purpose
Who is the intended audience of the site you are viewing? Consider its content, tone, and
style. Is this appropriate for your purposes?
2. Source

Is the author/developer identified on the page?

Does this person have expertise in this area? Are credentials provided?
 Is the sponsor or “host” of the site appropriate for the material presented? Examine
the URL.
Examples
If domain name
This site represents a(n):
Example of appropriate
information:
ends with:
.edu
.gov
.com
educational institution
government organization
commercial site
research material
government resources
products and prices
 Does the URL contain “~name” (tilde – name) where the name can be any username
or expression? This represents a personal home page with no official sanction.

Is there an e-mail address offered for submission of questions or comments?
3. Content
a)
Accuracy of Information
 Don’t automatically take information at face value, since web sites are seldom
reviewed in the same way as published material
 Look closely for any evidence of bias? (political, religious, profit motive or hidden
agenda). Is the point of view one-sided? Does the author focus only on the negative or
positive?

b)
Is the source of the information clearly stated? Is it original or borrowed?
Comprehensiveness
 Does the content presented cover a specific time period or aspect of the topic? Is this
what you want?
 Always refer to additional print and electronic resources to complement this
information.
c)
Currency
 Check that “date of last update” on the page or site that you are viewing. Is the
material current enough?
d)
Links
 Are the links provided to you relevant and appropriate for this topic? Don’t assume
that they will be the best available.
4. Style and Functionality

Is the site organized in a clear and logical manner?

Is the style of writing appropriate for the intended audience?

Does the site contain clear navigation buttons (e.g., Home, Back, Go to Top)

Do all the Internet links work?

Is there a search feature for a large site?
Adapted from Jacobson, T. and L. Cohen. “Evaluation Internet Resources”. (
www.albany.edu/library/internet/evaluate)
CAVEAT LECTOR (LET THE READER BEWARE)
Electronic Resource Evaluation Sheet
Title:
___________________________________
Source:
Validity is a word used to describe how truthful, logical, and trustworthy information is. When doing research, it is
important to use valid information to ensure that your work is as correct as possible. When evaluating an electronic
resource, separately look at the validity of the author, the publisher, and the facts.
Author Validity
Dimension
Is the author named?
What makes the author qualified to
write about that subject?
Publisher Validity
Is the company/organization publishing
the information trustworthy?
Fact Validity
Are links available to check “facts”?
Are references provided from which
the facts were taken?
What to look for

author should be named

author’s qualifications, career, or education
should be listed, and be relevant to the subject
1 = poor, 5 = excellent
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

look for reputable companies that you have heard
of
1
2
3
4
5

if the publisher is trying to sell something by
using this information, be suspicious of its validity

links that work are helpful in checking facts;
those links should be visited and evaluated for
their validity
the references should be well-known
organizations, books, or government agencies
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

Bias is a word used to describe information that is incorrect or incomplete for a specific purpose. For example, a
tobacco manufacturer might leave out some facts about the dangers of tobacco in a document about cigarettes in order
to make the company look better or to sell their product. This prejudiced information is biased.
Bias
Dimension
What is the purpose of the
information?
Is there any reason that the author or
publisher would want to withhold
facts?
Is there any advertising in the
document?
What to look for

information is usually provided to either
persuade you to believe something (high bias =
poor), to inform about a subject (possible bias), or
to explain a concept (possible bias)

if the author withholds facts (e.g., if they are
trying to sell something), then it may be high bias
1 = poor, 5 = excellent
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

1
2
3
4
5
sometimes advertising can lead to bias in order to
please advertisers (poor)
Up-to-date is how recent the information you are using was published.
Up-to-date
Dimension
When was the information written?
When was it last updated?
What to look for

more recent is better

recent and frequent updates are better
1 = poor, 5 = excellent
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Confidentiality is the degree to which information is for private use. Giving that information to others could cause
ethical problems. For example, for privacy reasons, the personal medical files of a patient could not be published by
her doctor without special permission from the patient. Often, this type of information could harm one of the parties
involved.
Confidentiality
Dimension
Is the information allowed to be seen
by the general public?
What to look for

poor confidentiality contains information that
could hurt others

1 = poor, 5 = excellent
1
2
3
4
5
poor confidentiality contains information that is
protected by privacy laws
Usefulness is the degree to which the information helps you meet your research goals.
Usefulness
Dimension
Did the information tell you what you
needed to know?
What to look for

the more it told you what you need to know, the
better
1 = poor, 5 = excellent
1
2
3
4
5
COMPARING SEARCH ENGINE SITES ASSIGNMENT
Instructions: Create the chart below in MS Word and answer the questions for each
search engine site you visit. Look ONLY at the home page of the site. Choose from the
following list of search engines:
www.altavista.com
www.yahoo.com
www.goggle.com
www.37.COM
www.excite.com
www.canada.com
QUESTION
Do you have to scroll to see the entire page?
Is there an advance searching feature?
Is there an e-mail service?
Is there a help feature?
Are there ‘search for’ options (e.g., web page,
images, video, audio)?
Is there a copyright line? (Hint: Look at bottom of
page)
Does the home page have stock market
information?
Does the company have a site in other countries?
What are the first three subject categories shown
on the home page?
How many advertisements do you see?
www.savvysearch.com/
Site:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Site:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Site:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
123-
No
Yes
123-
No
Yes
123-
No