Evaluating Information
for Accuracy
& Validity
Authority
•Who is the author?
•What authority does s/he have on this topic?
•Who is the publisher of the information?
•What is the relationship between the author of the web page and the publisher?
Currency
•When was the data gathered?
•What dates do the data cover?
•When was the document last updated?
Accuracy
•Can the information be verified?
•Are the sources documented in a bibliography?
•If data (statistics) is included, is the way it was gathered clearly explained?
Objectivity
•Is the mission or purpose of the website clearly identified?
•Is the site trying to sell you a product, service, or idea?
•Is information on the site documented with references?
•Is the information balanced?
Coverage
•Is this the right web page for you?
•How deeply is the topic covered? Does the information present a simple, surface coverage, or does it attempt to address the topic's complexity?
•Does the author display a breadth of knowledge on the subject?
•Coverage is really the sum total of all the other critera: authority, accuracy, bias, and currency.
Sources:
The ABC's of web literacy. (2005). Retrieved January 21, 2005.
Alexander, J., & Tate, M.A. (1999). Evaluating web resources. Retrieved January 23, 2005.
Beck, S.E. (2004). The good, the bad, and the ugly or why it's good to evaluate web sources. Retrieved January 23, 2005. |
Steps to Take
-
Perform searches using both single search engines and at least one
meta-search engine.
-
Record your search results in your research log.
-
Select three very promising websites to evaluate using criteria at left.
-
Record your responses in your log.
-
Log into the class discussion forum and post one website you judged to be outstanding, along with a short recommendation.
|
