Evaluating+Internet+Sources

According to the **//MLA Handbook (8th Edition)//**, you can start evaluating a source by asking the following questions:


 * Who** is the author or the source? Is the author qualified to address the subject? Doe the author draw on appropriate research and make a logical argument? Do you perceive bias or the possibility of it in the author's relation to the subject matter?


 * What** is the source? Does it have a title, and does that title tell you anything about it? If it lacks a title, how would you describe it? Is it a primary source, such as an original document, creative work, or artifact, or is it a secondary source, which reports on or analyzes primary sources? Does the source document its own sources in a trustworthy manner?


 * How** was the source produced? Does it have a recognized publisher or sponsoring organization? Was it subjected to a process of vetting such as peer review, through which authorities in the field assessed its quality?


 * Where** did you find the source? Was it cited in an authoritative work? Was it among the results of a search you conducted through a scholarly database or library's resources? Did you discover it through a commercial search engine that may weight results by popularity or even payment?


 * When** was the source published? Could its information have been supplemented or replaced by more recent work?

Gee Library has a useful guide for evaluating internet resources.

The University of Edinburgh also has an clear list of questions to help you evaluate such sources.

What do the following domains extensions signify? Which ones are more likely to share information that will encourage viewers to spend money on their products or services? Which ones might share information to get you to donate time or money to their cause? Should we accept the information from any of them without evaluating its reliability?
 * __Reliability based on web address?__**

.com .net .org .edu .mil .gov

Find out more about how to use domain extensions from this video created published by Charles Sturt University in Australia

You can even download this handy evaluation checklist from Gee Library.

__**Small Group Exercise:**__ Each group should evaluate one of the following websites. Use one of the guides above to determine their reliability and credibility.

Group One:
The Nutrition Source http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

Group Two:
Global Warming Information http://www.globalwarming.org/

Group Three:
WebMD http://www.webmd.com/

Group Four:
U. S. Department of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/

//Based on Gee Library Resource--adapted from University of North Carolina's library site.//