evaluation & bias
The following are some general, basic criteria to consider when evaluating resources:
Accuracy
Does the information presented seem accurate?
Are the facts verifiable?
Authority
Who is the author?
What expertise does he or she have on this topic?
Who sponsors the site?
Objectivity
What is the stated purpose of the site?
Examine the "About..." or "Mission" links on a web page.
What position or opinion is presented and does it seem biased?
What kind of sites does this one link to?
Currency
On what date was the page created?
Do you need more current information?
Do links on the site still work?
Use
Would you quote information from this site in a college research paper?
image: By MesserWoland [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Practice what you've learned. Look at the sites below and evaluate them. Would you use them for a paper?
Group 1. Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21 Can Protect Against Later Risk of Death
Group 2. Why Lowering the Drinking Age May Make Us All Safer
