6 Evaluating Online Sources
Be very cautious with material that you find on the internet. Unless what you find is a scholarly journal, then you will need to evaluate the site’s reliability and scholarly professionalism. You will also need to determine whether it is providing primary or secondary sources. Also pay attention to how the website is presenting documents. (For example: Were documents selected to illustrate a certain point. Is it the original text, or is it an excerpt? Etc.)
| Warning signs |
Good signs |
- The site contains many strong, controversial opinions.
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- A renowned university, museum, library, or research institute hosts the site.
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- The author is not easy to find elsewhere on the internet or in published sources.
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- The website contains a clear mission statement (always read “About …”)
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- The organization’s affiliation is not easy to find on the internet or in published sources.
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- The website fully identifies and references its sources (either primary or secondary).
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- The site is not affiliated with a university or research institution
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- The website is never or rarely updated.
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