If you use Internet sites in your research, it is very important that they be critically evaluated. Remember, anyone can put up a web site.
Some general questions to ask are:
- Who is the author and what is the author’s background?
- The author of the site (either individual or corportate) should be identifable along with any credentials or expertise they may have. For instance, does the author have an advanced degree (PhD or MD) in the discipline; is the author a published scientist residing at a research institution?
- A site that lists content provider names and affiliations is more likely to be reputable than a sight where that informtion is hidden or absent. Look for an email link for the author as well as additional contact information.
- What is the domain (.com, .edu, .gov, .org)?
- The domain name can also give a clue as to the nature of the site. A Commercial enterprise with a .com site will very likely be different than Organization with .org, Government with .gov, or Education with .edu sites.
- Usually scientists and researchers will have websites with .edu, .gov or .org domains.
- Commercial sites would be for corporate entities (Pfizer.com) and news sources (cnn.com and newyorktimes.com).
- Organizations, societies, and associations have .org domains (American Association for the Advancement of Science - aaas.org).
- The United States government agencies, departments, etc. have .gov domains (U.S. Geological Survey - usgs.gov).
- Higher educational institutions have .edu domains (quinnipiac.edu).
- Is the web site up-to-date?
- Look for dates or other indications on the page as to when the content was created, last reviewed or updated. Science and medical information require timely updating.
- What is the purpose or motive behind the web site?
- Try and determine the purpose of the website. It may be trying to sell products or ideas. Be aware of bias towards certain points of view. Content suggesting drugs as a course of treatment for a back injury will seem suspicious next to links to sites selling back pain medication.
- How appropriate is the information?
- The information on the page should be appropriate and relevant to the question at hand.
- Is it written at a suitable educational level?
- Who is the intended audience: academic communities, researchers, children, general public, organization supporters, political groups, or competitors?
- How accurate, credible, and reliable is the information?
- It's important to understand the accuracy of the information along with the credibility of the author. Popular sites such as Wikipedia can have content added, modified or deleted by anyone. It shouldn't carry the same weight of significance as information from a scholary database or peer reviewed publication.
