What’s Good on the Web

and What Isn’t

How to Tell

Anna Pilston and Matt Fisher

The Web is great because…

…anyone can publish anything they want to on it. This is also a HUGE problem. There’s plenty of great information out there, but it’s surrounded by tons of useless junk.

When you’re using a print resource, much of the evaluation has been done for you, by the publishers and editors, and sometimes by reviewers or librarians. On the Web, you’re on your own.

So, how do you decide if a Web page is worth using?

There Are 5 Ways to Evaluate a Web Resource

Currency Relevance Accuracy Authority Subjectivity/Bias

Let’s look at each one…

Is the Web page current?

When you’re using a print resource, the copyright date tells you when it was published.

Does the Web page have a date on it? What does that date mean? It might tell you when the information was gathered, when the page was originally published, or when it was last updated.

If the information is too old, it might not be useful any more. This is especially true in the sciences, where new research is being published every day.

Things to look for: When was the page produced? Are there any dead links on the page? Is the information on the page outdated? Is the information updated regularly?

Is the Web page current?

Let’s say you’re doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.drkoop.com/news/focus/feb/st_johns.html

Look at the page and think about these questions before continuing.

Is there a date listed on this page?

What does the date mean?

Would you use this in your paper?

Is this Web page current?

Let’s say you’re doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.drkoop.com/news/focus/feb/st_johns.html

Is there a date listed on this page? Yes! At the bottom the article, it says, “Feb. 15, 1999.”

What does the date mean? This is the date that the article was both published and

reviewed. Would you use this in your paper?

Well, you could, but you should probably look for some even newer resources to make sure that the information hasn’t changed in the last two years.

Is this Web page relevant?

Regardless of the type of resource you’re using, you always have to decide whether or not the information is relevant to your topic.

Before you start your research, think about what types of resources you are looking for. What information do you need? Are you looking for facts or opinions? What types of resources does your professor want you to use?

Things to look for: What topics does the page cover? How in-depth is the information? Is this information useful to you?

Is this Web page relevant?

You’re still doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/?ID=1131

Look at the page and think about these questions before continuing.

Is the information relevant to your topic?

Does this page have in-depth coverage of your topic?

Would you use this resource in your paper?

Is this Web page relevant?

You’re still doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/?ID=1131

Is the information relevant to your topic? Yes! It describes a research study that says that St. John’s

Wort is NOT effective in treating depression. Does this page have in-depth coverage of your topic?

No. It isn’t very long, and only covers one particular study. Would you use this resource in your paper?

Yes, but you should verify this information and look for more sources.

Is this Web page accurate?

One of the problems with the Web is that anyone can publish anything they want to. How can you tell if their information is correct? Some pages have been reviewed or edited by authorities in the field, but it’s always a good idea to check the facts on the page using another, reliable source. You can use library sources to check on the author, verify the facts, or to see if a paper was ever published, and where.

Things to look for: Are there many spelling or grammatical errors? Is the author listed, and is there any contact information for him? Is there a bibliography? Has the document been reviewed by someone with reliable

credentials? How does this information compare with other sources on this topic?

Is this Web page accurate?

You’re still doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.kcweb.com/herb/stjohn.htm

Look at the page and think about these questions before continuing.

Can the author or sponsoring organization be contacted?

Is there a bibliography?

Would you use this resource in your paper?

Is this Web page accurate?

You’re still doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression.

Go to http://www.kcweb.com/herb/stjohn.htm

Can the author or sponsoring organization be contacted? No author is listed, but there is an email link in the left

margin. Is there a bibliography?

No. There is no way to know where the author got his information.

Would you use this resource in your paper? You probably shouldn’t. There’s no author, no bibliography,

no date, and, if you look, you’ll see that the Web site is run by a store. You could find more reliable information in a scientific encyclopedia.

What is this page’s authority?

Even if you have the author’s name, how do you know who he is and what his credentials are? Is he an expert in this area? As you become more familiar with a topic, you may begin to recognize certain names that appear over and over again.

If you can’t find the author’s credentials, look at the sponsoring organization. A page about black holes that’s hosted on the NASA server could be legitimate, even if the author or his credentials aren’t listed. But if that same page is hosted on a personal server, or a server for a rock band, the you should question who the author is and how much he really knows about the subject.

You should always try to verify the author’s or the organization’s reputation using other sources, such as Who’s Who. You could also look for other articles by the author using the databases or indexes at your library.

What is this page’s authority?

Things to look for: What makes this author an expert? What is his background? Can you contact the author for more information? What organization is hosting this page?

What is this page’s authority?

You’re still doing a paper about the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in treating depression. Go to

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/stjohn.html

Look at the page and think about these questions before continuing.

Can you contact the author?

Are the author’s credentials listed on the page?

Is the page supported or hosted by a reliable organization?

Would you use this resource in your paper?

What is this page’s authority?

Can you contact the author? Not from this page, but there is information on a biography

page that you can get to from Quackwatch’s main page. Are the author’s credentials listed on the page?

Same as above. Is the page supported or hosted by a reliable organization?

Maybe. There is information about Quackwatch available from the main page, but you’ll have to read it and make the decision about its reliability yourself.

Would you use this resource in your paper? Sure. Even if it’s difficult to find out about the author, the

information is available elsewhere on the site, and the article does have a good list of references, so you can verify the information. Just don’t use it as your only resource.

Is this Web page objective?

Objectivity or bias can be the most difficult aspect of a page to identify. Some Web pages express a particular point of view, and can be very one-sided, or subjective. Pages with only one point of view can still be useful, but you need to be aware that the information is biased so that your own research is balanced. Otherwise, the author could influence your writing without you realizing it.

Things to look for: Is the page advertising something? Does this author express any opinions about the topic? For whom was this page written? What is its purpose? Does the page reflect a variety of viewpoints, or only one?

Is this Web page objective?

Let’s say you’re doing a paper on the uses of Ritalin.

Go to http://209.180.175.75/becalmd/ritalin.htm

Look at the page and think about these questions before continuing.

Does this article provide balanced coverage of this issue?

Does the sponsor of this page have an objective interest here?

Would you use this resource in your paper?

Is this Web page objective?

Let’s say you’re doing a paper on the uses of Ritalin.Go to http://209.180.175.75/becalmd/ritalin.htm

Does this article provide balanced coverage of this issue? Certainly not! The author (whoever he is) is very definitely

against the use of Ritalin. Does the sponsor of this page have an objective interest here?

Yes. If you look at the bottom of the page, there is a link that leads to a store selling their alternative to Ritalin. They want you to think that Ritalin is bad so you’ll buy their product.

Would you use this resource in your paper? No way! This might have been useful as an example of the

anti-Ritalin movement, but there is no author, no bibliography, no publication date, and they’re trying to sell you something.

Let’s Review

Currency Is the information up-to-date?

Relevance Is the information important to you?

Accuracy Is the information correct?

Authority How does the author know what he’s talking about?

Subjectivity/Bias Is the viewpoint of this page balanced?

Let’s Review

This may sound like a lot to think about, but it gets easier with experience. Remember, not everything is available on the Web! Don’t forget to use print resources, too, and ask your librarian if you need help.

Now we’ll see if you can use some of this information. Try the exercises on the worksheet and give them to Dr. Fisher when you’re done.

These are the Web sites for the exercises:

A. http://www.i2i.org/Publications/Op-Eds/HealthCare/ritalin.htm

B. http://www.uhuh.com/education/ritpsych.htm

C. http://www.drkoop.com/news/focus/september/ritalin_no.html

D. http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/rit1383.htm

For more information on the evaluation of web resources, try these articles and web pages:

Alexander, Jane and Marsha Tate. “Evaluating Web Sources.” Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener University. 2000. http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm. (9 March 2001).

Locknar, Angie, et al. “Evaluating Information on the Web.” Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. 2000. https://online.web.cmu.edu/00-100/. (6 January 2001).

Kapoun, Jim. “Teaching Undergrads WEB Evaluation: A Guide for Library Instruction.” College & Research Libraries News. 2000. http://www.ala.org/acrl/undwebev.html. (2 March 2001).

Rothenberg, David. “How the Web Destroys the Quality of Students’ Research Papers.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. 15 Aug. 1997: A44+.