The web is an unfiltered medium.  Anyone with access to the right technology to create a webpage and make it available on the web can post information in a format which makes it look official and true, no matter how intentionally or unintentionally false or funny it is.  On some websites it is more difficult to tell if the information is true or false, especially if the topic is unfamiliar to you. 
 

Look at each one of the following websites by clicking on each link, then click on the back button to return to this tutorial. Feline Reactions to Bearded Men Dream Technologies International Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division       The controversy and dangers of this widespread and potentially deadly chemical element. [Also known as water]. The First Human Male Pregnancy Documentary on "the first human male to ever birth a baby from his own body." AIDS Facts "The true but little known facts about women and AIDS, with documentation, by Dr. Juatta Lyon Fueul." Genochoice A make-believe genetics company selling the perfect offspring.  California's Velcro Crop Under Challenge Do each of these sites have suspicious elements?  Sometimes it is easy to tell when a website is a spoof.  But intentionally misleading websites can be more difficult to detect.

Consider the two dueling sites of the Tunisian government and Amnesty International on the topic of human rights.  If you had seen one web page without having seen the other, would you have known that there was another side to the story?  Even having seen both, can you tell which is telling the truth? Then return to this tutorial.

Consider these questions when judging the quality of information from the web: 

Purpose
Can you tell why the information was written? Was it written to sell something?  Was it written to advance a particular opinion?  Is it impartial? 
The Internet is strong on showing a diversity of opinion on issues.  In a more cynical sense, it is also a forum for people and organizations to spout propaganda.  If you're looking for opinions, you'll find them here, but knowing what agenda might be behind a website will help you understand the context of the information.  An example would be the NRA (National Rifle Association) website, which would have a right-to-bear-arms agenda, where a gun control lobby would publish on their website all the reasons why gun control is the more appropriate framework for our laws.

Authorship / Sponsorship
Can you tell who wrote the information?  What special authority or knowledge does this person or organization have on the topic? Do others who write on this topic cite information from this person or organization? 
This is not to say that just because a webpage has an identifiable author that the information is good.  But if you can't tell where the information is coming from, then it is suspicious.  If there is an author or an organization sponsoring the page, find out all you can about them:  look for information on the webpage linking to an email address for the author/sponsor or linking to information "ABOUT" the author or sponsor. 

Content
Can you tell what sources the author/sponsor used?  Is there a bibliography or other documentation?  Is the information up-to-date?
A scholarly website should provide information on the sources used to create the site.  Perhaps they will include a bibliography or list of references or an explanation of how the information was gathered.  Is the site up to date?  Unfortunately it is not unusual for websites to be orphaned--that is, someone posts them and forgets about them, never removing or updating them.  Look for a date usually at the bottom of the page indicating when the page was last updated.  If knowledge about your topic has changed over time, this could be a key factor in the validity of the information.
 

A good checklist outlining how to evaluate the quality of websites is from the American Library Association's page on How to Tell If You Are Looking at a Great Web Site.  Follow that link, read the document, then return to this tutorial.

Example:
Let's look at a sample web site:  GLACIER

Above is a representation of the homepage for GLACIER, but please follow the link to better see the elements of the webpage.

What is there on this homepage to indicate that the page is a site of quality?  It:

• identifies sponsoring agencies:  Rice University, and also supported by NSF, the federal National Science Foundation (*very* reputable).  This information is available from the images representing these institutions, and also in the link "About This Site".
• lists two ways to contact the project: email and also "send us your comments"
• provides copyright information, which hints at the date the page was created and last updated.
• was actually last updated April 2, 2000, which was recent when this page was viewed.  (How did I know that?  With the page on the Netscape screen, click on VIEW on the top toolbar of your browser, then PAGE INFO.  One of the items of information available there is when the page was last modified, if that information is available to the browser.)

Considering all the warnings about using the Internet for research and the doubts about whether the information found there is valid, why would you ever chance its use for your research? 

Because...the Internet is an unprecedented tool for student researchers, giving a breadth of information never before available to small communities such as ours in a single convenient resource. 

Keeping in mind that grand statement, know that using the Internet for research is a good idea when:

You need to know about a very current event or news, where the information is so recent it has not yet appeared in the periodicals or in books.
You need information about a company, such as an annual report or company history, or a college.  Most have websites that are both promotional and informative.
You want to read about different opinions on a controversial issue.
You want to search the catalogs of other libraries, such as the Library of Congress, to explore what's available or to look for titles on your topic.
You have already exhausted the library's resources, and you still need more information.see what's out there!

Continue now with the tutorial
by clicking on the underlined link in this sentence.