Online Library Research 

Module1: Finding your way
Module2: Books and more
Module 3: E-Books
Module4: Article Databases
Module 5: Web Savvy
Module 6: Citing Sources
Northwest Library
EPCC

Web Savvy: Navigation and Evaluation of Information

Evaluation of WWW Sources

Access to pages on the Web is easy, but there are no government agencies, or formal professional critics evaluating the content of the pages created. We grow up trusting in traditional media. We value information in a medical journal, for example, over a popular teen magazine. As many have discovered a web page can look the same whether created by a world authority or a student. The web site you regularly relied on for information may simply disappear overnight. Every search engine is filled with out-of-date links to sites that no longer exist. You must evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of any information you find on the web.

Evaluate Web pages using the following criteria:

Currency

• How current is the information?
• Check for " last updated" information on the page. If this is missing, look for dated information in the article or its bibliography if one is included.

Authority

• Is the author credible? (Expertise in the field?)
• If the author is with a college or university you can check university and department Web Pages for the author's specialty.
• If the Author claims to be a specialist in a field you can search the web for lists of recognized experts, contact professional's organizations, or verify their name through library resources.
• Check the domain name, but sometimes even a domain name* is no proof of authenticity.

*Domain name: On the Internet, a system of easily identifying individual servers or sites using a single word or abbreviation. The domain name farthest to the right of an address is the most general domain. For example: www.epcc.edu (educational) and www.yahoo.com (commercial).

Content

• Does it cover the topic in a thorough manner?
• Where does the information come from (i.e. opinion, facts, documents, quotes, paraphrase, and excerpts)?
• What are the key concepts, issues, and facts of the site?
• Can another site or source verify the key elements of the site?
• Is the site balanced and objective, or is it pushing a particular point of view?

Format

Is it well organized and does it have relevant links?
 

Tutorial created by Monica Wong,  Head Librarian, Northwest Campus Library
915/831-8840 | monicaw@epcc.edu

Technical Consultant: Joe Old , El Paso Community College

This site was created as part of the Integrating Technical Contexts into Academic Programs (ITAC) Project.
Funds for the program were provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under the auspices
 of the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998.

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