This
guide is designed to show you how you can recognize
high quality information on the Internet by developing
critical evaluation skills when viewing web sites.
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Consider that:
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- Anyone can publish on a
web site
- Web pages can become unavailable
at any time
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| In
order to help you evaluate material found on web sites,
remember this acronym: |
ACT |
| Authority |
Content |
Timeliness |
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| Authority |
- Who is the author(s) of the webpage or
website?
- What are the author's credentials?
- With which institution (an academic institution, a company etc) is the author(s) affiliated?
- Which organization created the website?
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| Content |
- What is the source? Is it a brief commentary, book review, letter, news item, or research article, etc?
- For whom is the page/site intended? Academics/scholars? General public? People in the profession/industry/trade?
- What indication is there that all aspects of the topic are covered?
- What indication is there that the topic is covered in depth?
- Is there a bibliography of references that the author/organization has used? How thorough is it?
- Is there a list of suggested further reading or links? How thorough is it?
- What biases, if any, do you detect?
- What information is missing?
- How does the webpage verify or dispute information from other sources?
- Is the information consistent with information from other sources?
- How does the webpage add new or unique information about your topic?
- How do the visual aids enhance the text?
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| Timeliness |
- How is the information
sufficiently current for your purpose?
- When was the site last
updated?
- How many dead links are on the page? (that may indicate the
page is not being updated regularly)
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Lastly, ask yourself if you would
be comfortable citing this page in a research paper.
If you have any questions, ask a Librarian or your Instructor! |
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