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As you search
online, you will likely find websites for many agencies and organizations that could
be more well-known. By answering the following questions, you should be able to
evaluate the quality of the posted information. Many of these details may be under
the website heading “About Us” or “Contact Us.” Below are questions that you
should ask yourself when evaluating online information.
1. Who sponsors the website?
Can you quickly identify the sponsor? Websites cost money—is the funding source readily apparent?
2. Is it obvious how you can reach the sponsor?
Trustworthy websites will have contact information for you to use. They may
have a toll-free telephone number. The website home page should list an e-mail
address, phone number, or mailing address where the sponsor and/or the authors
of the information can be reached.
3. What type of
website is it?
Sometimes, the
website address itself may help—for example:
- .gov identifies a government agency.
- .edu identifies an educational institution.
- .org identifies professional
organizations (e.g., scientific or research societies, advocacy groups).
- .com identifies commercial websites.
4. Who wrote the information?
Authors and contributors
should be identified. Their affiliation and any financial interest in the
content should also be clear. Be careful about testimonials. Personal stories
may be helpful, but advice offered in a case history should be considered with
a healthy dose of skepticism. There is a big difference between a website
developed by a person with a financial interest in a topic and one developed
from an objective viewpoint.
5. Who reviews the information?
Does the website have an editorial board?
Click on the “About Us” page to see if an editorial board checks the
information before putting it online. Find out if the editorial board members
are experts in your research subject. Some websites have a section called
“About Our Writers” instead of an editorial policy. Dependable websites will
tell you where the information came from and how it has been reviewed.
6. When was the information
written?
It’s important to find out when the information you are reading was
written. Look carefully on the home page to find out when the website was last
updated. The date is often found at the bottom of the home page. Remember:
older information isn’t useless. Many websites provide older articles so
readers can get an historical view of the information.
7. Does the website make claims
that seem too good to be true? Are quick, miraculous problem fixes offered?
Be skeptical of sensational writing, or easy and quick problem fixes. Make sure
you can find other websites with the same information. Don’t be fooled by a
long list of links—any website can link to another, so no endorsement can be
implied from a shared link. Take the “too good to be true” test—information
that sounds unbelievable probably is unbelievable.
A final note
Use your common sense and good judgment when evaluating information online.
There are websites on nearly every conceivable topic and no rules overseeing
the quality of the information. Take a deep breath and think a bit before
acting on any information you find on the web. Don’t count on any one website.
If possible, check with several sources to confirm the accuracy of your
results.
