University Libraries

Caveat user! The Web has a lot to offer, but not all pages are equally valuable or reliable -- you have to evaluate the source to make sure that you can trust the information. Some basic questions to ask yourself include:

• Is the information reliable and error-free?
• Is there an author?
• Is there a sponsoring organization?
• What are the author's credentials?
• What are the sponsoring organization's credentials?
• Is there a link to information about the author?
• Is there a link to information about the sponsoring organization?
• If the page indicates neither an author nor a sponsoring organization, is there any other way to determine the page's origin from the URL? (.edu, .gov, .org, etc.)
• Does the page have a date on it?
• When was the page last updated?
• Is there any advertising on the page?
• Are the links current? Have links expired or moved?
• How in-depth is the material?
• Is the page designed to sway opinion?