Always question the value of ALL information sources

NOTE:   The greater the number of questions listed below answered "yes", the more likely the source is of high quality.  The questions in BOLD TYPE must be answered "yes" for the source to be of value in your research.

CRITERION # 1:

1. Is it clear who wrote or supplied the material and are the author's qualifications for writing on this topic clearly stated?  What is the authority or         experitse of the individual or group that created this site?  Be aware of bias of the source.  Site addresses which include 'edu' orginate from educational         institutions; 'gov' are government sites; 'com' are commercial sites.

2.  Is contact information for the author or producer included in the document?  Is there a link to a page describing the purpose of the sponsoring                  organization?

3.  Is there a way of verifying the legitimacy of the page's sponsor?  That is, is there a phone number or postal address to contact for more information?        (Simply an e-mail address is not enough).

CRITERION # 2:

1.  Is the information free from grammatical, spelling, and other typographical errors?  (These kinds of errors not only indicate a lack of quality control,      but can actually produce inaccuracies in information).

2.  Is there a bibliography provided for any factual information clearly listed so they can be verified in another source?

3.  Is it clear who has the ulitmate responsibility fo rthe accuracy of the content of the material?

CRITERION # 3:

1.  How thorough is the information provided?

2.  How valuable is the information provided in the Web page? (intrinsic value)?

3.  What other resources (print & non-print) are available in this area?  Is this among the best available sources?  What is the relative value of the Web     site in comparison

4.  Is there an indication that the page has been competed, and is not still under construction?

5.  If there is a print equivalent to the Web page, is there a clear indication of whether the entire work is available on the Web or only parts of it?

6.  Are there worthwhile links to related sites?

CRITERION # 4:

1.  What is the purpose of the information?  Why was the information posted - to sell, to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or ???

2.  Is the information free of advertising?  If there is any advertising on the page, is it clearly differentiated from the informational content?

CRITERIAN # 5:

1.  Are there dates on the page to indicate: When the page was written?  Or When the page was first place don the Web?  or When the page was last revised?