Ask the Right
Questions

 

 

 

Why we need to evaluate what we find on the Internet

from D. Scott Brandt, Professor, Purdue University Libraries

Anyone can (and probably will) put anything up on the Internet

  • are they reliable? accurate? truthful?
  • is it meaningful? thoughtful? researched?
  • I often tell the story of how an academic researcher found a movie review on the Internet, printed it and ran to his seminar, only to realize later that it was written by an adoring fan, not an authoritative critic.

It is often difficult to tell

  • what something is
  • where it came from
  • how it got there
  • who the author is
  • Don't you think if it was important enough to put out on the Internet, people should give pertinent information about it? Alas, this is not always the case! In fact, it's seldom the case.

Is it the original?

  • updated? revised?
  • quoted out of context? plagiarized?
  • altered (intentionally or unintentionally)?
  • Again, this may not be intentional, but if people would annotate their pages it would help others who review them.

Many things are not filtered or reviewed

  • by a refereeing process
  • by peers or an authority
  • by publication or editor
  • by libraries (collection development)

Evaluation of Information and Sources: Reliability and Credibility

The outline below* lists areas to check when evaluating information found on the Internet.
 

Who is the author?

  • Is she/he qualified to write this "article?"
  • What is her/his occupation, position, education, experience?
  • What are her/his credentials?

Are the facts accurate?

  • How does this information compare with that in other sources in the field?

Perspective

  • Does the author have a bias?
  • Does she/he express a particular point of view?
  • Is the author affiliated with particular organizations, institutions, associations?

Does the forum in which the information appears have a bias?

  • Is it directed toward a specific audience? [General public, scholars in a given field, etc.]
  • Where is the information "published?"
  • When was it written?

Purpose

  • To what audience is the author writing?
  • Is this reflected in the writing style, vocabulary, or tone?
  • Does the material inform? explain? persuade?
  • Is there sufficient evidence?
  • What conclusions are drawn?

Where to check...

  • source-- moderated/unmoderated list? anonymous ftp site?
  • check online directory sources for affiliations, bio info
  • scrutinize the "header" information to determine author
  • compare to other sources (similar & different)
  • check archives of online lists for other "works" by author
  • check reviews of online lists for scope, purpose
  • determine if it is appropriate for your needs
Resources, such as Web search engines, also need to be reviewed and evaluated. Many of the criteria listed above apply in the same way.
* Adapted in part from: The Savvy Student's Guide to Library Research. Judy Pask, Roberta Kramer, Scott Mandernack. Purdue University Undergraduate Library: W. Lafayette, IN. 1993 (No longer in print...)

Originally published 1996. Cosmetic update 2001. Minor nudge, 05/2004.