The information found in online databases is not usually found on the ‘free' Internet. With online databases, editors and publishers have already reviewed the information before it is published.
The editorial process usually guarantees the quality of the information, so you don't have to double-check the facts.
However, with other websites you must evaluate them to discover whether they contain useful and reliable information using the following criteria:
Evaluating Resources
In the research process you will encounter many types of resources including books, articles and websites. But not everything you find on your topic will be suitable.
How do you make sense of what is out there and evaluate its authority and appropriateness for your research?
In evaluating a website, these are some questions that you can ask yourself:
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Credibility
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Is there an author of the document? Can you determine the producer's credentials? If you cannot determine the author of the site, then think twice about using it as a resource.
What else has this author written? Sometimes information about the author is listed somewhere in the article. Other times, you may need to consult another resource to get background information on the author. Sometimes it helps to search the author's name in a general web search engine like Google.
Other factors: Trustworthy source, evidence of quality control, known or respected authority, organisational support.
Goal: an authoritative source, a source that supplies some good evidence that allows you to trust it.
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Accuracy
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Is there a date on the website? Is it sufficiently up-to-date? If there is no date, again, think twice about using it. Undated factual or statistical information should never be used.
Is there any bias evident in the site? Is the site trying to sell you a product? Ask why the page was put on the web.
Other factors: Up to date, factual, detailed, exact, comprehensive, audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy.
Scope. What is the breadth of the article, book, website or other material? Is it a general work that provides an overview of the topic or is it specifically focused on only one aspect of your topic. Does the breadth of the work match your own expectations? Does the resource cover the right time period that you are interested in?
Audience. Who is the intended audience for this source? Is the material too technical or too clinical? Is it too elementary or basic?
Goal: a source that is correct today (not yesterday), a source that gives the whole truth.
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Reasonableness
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What point of view does the author represent? Is the article an editorial that is trying to argue a position? Is the website sponsored by a company or organization? If so, does the group advocate a certain philosophy? Try to find and read "About Us" or similar information.
Other factors: Fair, balanced, objective, reasoned, no conflict of interest, absence of fallacies or slanted tone.
Goal: a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably, concerned with the truth.
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Support
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How credible and authentic are the links to other resources? Are the links evaluated or annotated in any way?
Other factors: Listed sources, contact information, available corroboration, claims supported, documentation supplied.
Goal: a source that provides convincing evidence for the claims made, a source you can triangulate (find at least two other sources that support it). A bibliography, along with footnotes, indicate that the author has consulted other sources and serves to authenticate the information that he or she is presenting. In websites, expect links or footnotes documenting sources, and referring to additional resources and other viewpoints.
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Additional things to consider:
Suitability
Scholarly vs. Popular
A scholarly journal is generally one that is published by and for experts. In order to be published in a scholarly journal, an article must first go through the peer review process in which a group of widely acknowledged experts in a field reviews it for content, scholarly soundness and academic value. In most cases, articles in scholarly journals present new, previously un-published research. Scholarly sources will almost always include:
- Bibliography and footnotes
- Author's name and academic credentials
As a general rule, scholarly journals are not printed on glossy paper, do not contain advertisements for popular consumer items and do not have colorful graphics and illustrations (there are, of course, exceptions).
Popular magazines range from highly respected publications such as Scientific American and The Atlantic Monthly to general interest newsmagazines like Newsweek and US News & World Report. Articles in these publications tend to be written by staff writers or freelance journalists and are geared towards a general audience. Articles in popular magazines are more likely to be shorter than those in academic journals. While most magazines adhere to editorial standards, articles do not go through a peer review process and rarely contain bibliographic citations.
Primary vs. Secondary research
In determining the appropriateness of a resource, it may be helpful to determine whether it is primary research or secondary research.
Primary research presents original research methods or findings for the first time. Examples include:
- A journal article, book, or other publication that presents new findings and new theories, usually with the data
- A newspaper account written by a journalist who was present at the event he or she is describing is a primary source (an eye-witness, first-hand account), and may also be primary "research"
A secondary research does not present new research but rather provides a compilation or evaluation of previously presented material. Examples include:
- A scientific article summarizing research or data, such as in Scientific American, Discover, Annual Review of Genetics, or Bioglogical Reviews
- An encyclopedia entry and entries in most other Reference books
- A textbook
Take an article in a popular magazine such as Mother Jones about the public health aspects of handgun control -- if it relies on interviews with experts and does not present any new research in the area, this article would be considered secondary research. If one of the experts interviewed in the Mother Jones article published a study in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) documenting for the first time the effect that handguns have on youth mortality rates, only the JAMA article would be considered primary research.
Reference resources
Book reviews. A book review, which can appear in a journal, magazine or newspaper, provides a descriptive, evaluative discussion of a recently published book. Reading how others have evaluated a book may help you decide whether to use that book in your research. There are a number of indexes you can consult that provide references to book reviews: New York Review of Books (1963-current).
Journal Indexes. You may also find reviews of books in many journal indexes by searching on the title and/or author of the book. Select a general journal index or an index for the subject area of the book.
Citation indexes. To see the impact a particular source has had on scholarship, you may want to consult a citation index. A citation index lists when and where a work has been cited. In other words, you could consult a Citation Index to see all the articles that have cited David Ho's research on HIV.
Links
For a more detailed checklist of what to look for in a website and how to do it, see
Evaluating Web Pages: How and Why
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources. From New Mexico State University, this guide includes links to examples of both "good" and "bad" websites.
How to Critically Analyze Information Sources. A quick guide to help you determine the relevance and authority of a resource. A useful companion guide is one titled
Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals. Both from Cornell University.
Evaluating Information Found on the Internet. A thoughtful guide to evaluating web and other Internet resources for scholarly purposes, from John Hopkins University Library.
Evaluation of Information Sources is an extensive list of links to the many other sites available on evaluating information.
