Think critically about web sites and print resources.
Is it Appropriate?
What type of Information is it? Popular, trade, or scholarly?
- Audience: Who is the intended audience?
- Content/purpose: Is the source for academic purposes or entertainment?
Currency: What is the publication date or when was the website last updated?
- Does this matter for your topic or affect the information?
Is it Credible?
Authority: What are the author's credentials and reputation?
- Do they have education, experience, and expertise in the field?
- Do they work for a reputable institution or organization?
Validity: Are assumptions and opinions stated as facts?
- Are there references to other works that support the information?
- Is the evidence reliable, sensible, and accessible?
- Is this information unique or has it been copied?
Bias: Is the information neutral or slanted?
- Does it promote the ideas of a particular group (religious, political, etc.)?
- Does the author have an agenda beyond education or information?
- Does the publisher/organization have a specific agenda?
- Are diverse perspectives represented?
- Is anything being sold?