Kimberly Lang

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

Evaluating Internet Sources

Kimberly Lang

The internet is the greatest innovation for researchers since the index card. It’s also the greatest cesspool of misinformation ever created. The truth IS out there, though. Finding it among the flotsam and jetsam of the web is the tough part. Remember—ANYONE can put ANYTHING up on the web. Unlike most print sources, the web has no oversight or editorial guidelines, so you have to do your homework in order to be sure you find reliable, reputable sources.

Let’s assume that Google has kicked back a long list of reasonable-sounding sites from your key word search. How can you figure out which ones to use?

BIG MYTH: You can decide whether or not a web site is reliable based on its extension.

Domain names don’t guarantee anything. A .gov, .edu, or .org extension doesn’t equal reliability, and a .com extension doesn’t mean that it’s junk. (For example, while most university web pages are full of great notes, bibliographies, and research from the faculty, many universities also give server space to individual students or student organizations for their own use. As long as its not hateful or pornographic, the university usually allows the students to put up what they wish.)

DECIDE THE RELEVANCE and WEIGHT OF THE INFORMATION NEEDED

Don’t waste time (or energy) on sites that are more or less than you need.

What kind of information are you after?
How in-depth do you need to go?
Consider the intended audience of the website. Is the information too scholarly, too specialized, or too popular for your purpose?

KNOW HOW YOUR SEARCH ENGINE LISTS SPONSORED LINKS

All commercial search engines have a list of “paid” links. The owners of those sites pay search engines to list them in a featured or top spot when certain key words are entered into the search field. These may not be the most reputable of sites—they just have an advertising budget. Learn how your search engine of choice lists those sponsored links on your results page.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING A SITE:

Consider the authority and reputation of the source.

Is the author or organization clearly indicated? If not, why?
What can you find out about the goals and objectives of the author or organization?
Have they provided contact information? If not, why?
If an organization sponsors the site, does it monitor or review the information?
If you have any questions about ‘ownership’ of a website, you can check the domain’s registry information at www.iwhois.com. This can often be eye-opening.

Consider the credentials of experts, authors, or sponsoring agencies

Don’t fall for celebs (Oprah may know an awful lot about running a media empire, but what does she really know about aerospace engineering?)
Try to confirm who people say they are; verify credentials if necessary. What is the author’s educational background? Has he written on this topic before? Is he considered an expert in the field by others in the same field? It’s very easy to do a basic fact check on “experts.” If she’s really an expert, her name will show up other places as well.

Consider the bias of a source

Everyone has a point of view—be sure that that bias does not lead to distortion of facts.
If you do get facts from a source with a clear agenda or bias, check web sites on the opposite side of that bias to be sure that you get a clear picture.

(This is a major consideration. Some sites make it easy to see the bias: www.godhatesfags.com —an actual web site—has a very clear ideology listed in its URL. How objective do you think that information is? Would you trust the statistics there? On the other hand, sometimes you have to think about and search for the bias: www.whitehouse.gov is the official web site for the White House. What are the chances that unflattering information about the President—however true it may be—will appear there?)

Consider the timeliness and stability of the source

Check the date of last update. Some fields move faster than others. Year-old information may be fine in some situations; in others, it can be worthless.

Consider how well a source presents key information

Good sites will tell you where the information comes from, how the research was conducted, have a good mix of primary and secondary sources, and will present a well-rounded view.
Lack of a bibliography, etc, may show shoddy research.
Obvious and excessive misspellings, typos, etc, may show carelessness with information.

Consider commercial intrusions into a source

The ads on a site may show that the information is biased.

(Adapted from Bookmarks: A Guide to Research and Writing. Longman: 2000)

WHO YOU CAN TRUST

Online versions of sources you would trust in print (USA Today, NYT, etc.)
Official websites of organizations you would normally trust. Be aware of similar sounding names, or organizations that sound like the real thing, but aren’t. (The American Cancer Association isn’t the same as the American Cancer Society.)

*With both of the above, you must still consider what their bias may be in relation to the information.

The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Databases contain all the really good stuff—although it may be MORE than you actually needed to know. The journals and periodicals archived in the databases are professional, peer-reviewed, and can be considered reputable. (If you or someone you know is affiliated with a university, you may be able to access it from home. Otherwise, you’ll have to go to a library to do so.)
Ask librarians or instructors. They may be able to cut through a lot of junk by directing you to the best sources.

WHEN YOU DO FIND A GOOD SOURCE

Bookmark the site. You may need to go back and re-check something later.

Print out what you think you will need. (Be sure the complete URL shows on the document so that you can revisit if necessary).

Note your date of access. That way, you’ll know if things change and your information goes out of date. Also helpful for cross-checking facts or looking for archived data from about the same time.

Be careful of clicking “off-site”. When following hyperlinks, you will sometimes end up off the original site (that you have just spent time evaluating). Many sites will also include links to other sites that provide more or similar items of interest. Most good sources will link to other good sources, but stuff slips through. (Even worse is the “link-off-a-link-off-a-link syndrome.”) Evaluate each web site’s content individually.

Go to the horse’s mouth. You may see the same name referenced over and over again. There’s a good chance that person is the leading expert in the field. See if that person has his/her own web site. Search for articles written by that person. If you find phone numbers or email address for some of the experts, don’t be afraid to contact them directly.

Healthy skepticism is your friend, but you don’t have to cross the line into complete paranoia. You don’t have to put every web site under the microscope, and you don’t have to track down every author’s resume—just be smart and don’t blindly accept any old web site that pops up as “the truth.” Decide what’s important, and then make sure that you’ve found a good source for that information.

Happy Researching!!