Library
Evaluating Resources
Every source that you view should be evaluated before being included in your research paper. You wouldn't want to base your college level paper on little Mikey Webber's fourth grade science fair project paper, but if you take every source at face value, that might be what you do! Sources from the Web are especially important to be evaluated because there are no publishing standards on the web. Anyone who pays for a domain can publish, even little Mikey. Here are some general criteria on which you can base an evaluation:
Content: Would it be more appropriate to use established print materials (books, reference sets and journal articles) instead of this web page? Is the material comprehensive or does it contain limited amounts of material?
Authority: Who is the author of this page? What is his or her stake in publishing this information? Is this person reputable? Is he or she qualified in this respective subject area? Is the author affiliated with a major organization or educational institution?
Objectivity: Does the author attempt to represent a particular view? Is the site clearly biased, or are there attempts to include other viewpoints / positions?
Currency / Accuracy of Material: Is the site or work updated regularly? Are last revised dates published on the page? Does the author have the last word or is the work peer reviewed (reviewed by other members of an institution or scholarly community)? Do you see obvious errors?
If the book, article or web site does not contain good, accurate content from an authoritative source, do not use it. If the information is presented in a markedly biased way, use the information only in the context in which it is delivered.
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