The Internet can be a great resource for doing research; however, not all web sites are created equal. For this reason, we suggest using the following guidelines when assessing the quality of an Internet resource. (These same guidelines can be used for judging any source of information whether it's a book, a magazine article, or your next-door neighbor's advice on fixing your car.)

We have singled out web sites for the subject of evaluation because, unlike books or magazine articles, most web sites do not undergo any sort of quality control or review process.

Authority Is an author listed on the site? Keep in mind that an author can be an individual or an organization. What makes the author an authority on the subject? Does the author list his/her educational or professional credentials? What contact information is listed if any? This will enable you to contact the author(s) to verify the information on the site.

Accuracy Does the author(s) indicate his/her sources? If the site has a research paper does it have a works cited list? If the site has statistical or graphical information are the sources of this information clearly indicated? Does the web site have links to outside sources? If so, does the author(s) say anything about the quality of these outside links? Shoddy presentation frequently reflects shody research - are there obvious grammar or spelling errors?

Objectivity Why did the author(s) produce this page... as a public service? to sell something? to influence people? Does the web site have sponsors? If so, does the author(s) make clear who the sponsors are? Do you feel the prescence of sponsors affects the objectivity of the web site?

Currency How current is the information on the web site? If any dates are given, do they indicate... when the page was placed on the web? when the content was last revised?