THE INTERNET:

A GUIDE TO

WORKING SMARTER

EVALUATING WEBSITES

Anyone can put anything on the Web, and they do. Now that you know how to find information, how do you judge its reliability? You should be able to evaluate the content of a website based on its:

Accuracy
Authority
Objectivity
Currency
Coverage

ACCURACY
The site should identify its source of information. Clinical or scientific evidence should be clearly stated. The method of the research should be described.

AUTHORITY
The site should include the name of the institution responsible for the research. The authors should be listed along with their credentials.

OBJECTIVITY
The site should identify any sponsors of the research. Look at the URL. The type of URL it is will disclose sponsorship, bias, and signal possible conflicts of interest. Refer to ACCESSING THE INTERNET for the 3-letter URL extensions.

CURRENCY
The date of the research and any revision dates should be clearly posted on the page. Although this does not guarantee currency, it can be a good indicator of if and when the information has been updated.

COVERAGE
The scope of the research should be comprehensive and balanced. Be wary of one-sided views. The intended audience of the research should be clear. Look at the external links selected by the site. The links should be current and relevant.