By now, you probably know that wonderful feeling of finding just what you're looking for on the Internet. But wait! How do you know that the information is reliable enough to be included in your research paper?
When you use an article from a printed or electronic source in a library, chances are that a librarian has evaluated that source and found it reputable. When you use an article from the Internet, NO ONE has evaluated it and it may or may not be reputable. Remember, "Caveat lector"...."Let the reader beware!"
Here are some things to look for when evaluating pages found on the World Wide Web:
Domains come in various types and they are categorized by one or more extensions. You can learn much about an Internet site by studying its domain name.
| Domain Type | What it Means |
|---|---|
| .com | a commercial business, organization, or company |
| .edu | an educational institution |
| .int | an international organization |
| .gov | a nonmilitary government entity |
| .mil | a military organization |
| .net | other organizations: nonprofit, nonacademic |
| .uk, .au, ca, jp, etc. | country codes denoting servers found in other countries |
A "tilde" (~) in a URL usually means
it is someone's personal page. Because it is difficult to verify the legitimacy of an
individual, personal home pages may be a useful source for personal opinion but use
extreme caution when citing them as a source for factual information).
The "Ten C's" provide criteria to consider in evaluating Internet resources. Sections of this document include:
What is the intent of the content? Are the title and author identified? Is the content "juried?" Is the content "popular" or "scholarly", satiric or serious? What is the date of the document or article? Is the "edition" current? Do you have the latest version? (Is this important?) How do you know?
Is the author identifiable and reliable? Is the content credible? Authoritative? Should it be? What is the purpose of the information, that is, is it serious, satiric, humorous? Is the URL extension .edu, .com, .gov or .org? What does this tell you about the "publisher"?
How can you apply critical thinking skills, including previous knowledge and experience, to evaluate Internet resources? Can you identify the author, publisher, edition, etc. as you would with a "traditionally" published resource? What criteria do you use to evaluate Internet resources?
Even if the copyright notice does not appear prominently, someone wrote, or is responsible for, the creation of a document, graphic, sound or image, and the material falls under the copyright conventions. "Fair use" applies to short, cited excerpts, usually as an example for commentary or research. Materials are in the "public domain" if this is explicitly stated. Internet users, as users of print media, must respect copyright.
Internet resources should be cited to identify sources used, both to give credit to the author and to provide the reader with avenues for further research. Standard style manuals (print and online) provide some examples of how to cite Internet documents, although these standards are not uniform.
Will the Internet site be maintained and updated? Is it now and will it continue to be free? Can you rely on this source over time to provide up-to-date information? Some good .edu sites have moved to .com, with possible cost implications. Other sites offer partial use for free, and charge fees for continued or in-depth use.
Is your discussion list "moderated"? What does this mean? Does your search engine or index look for all words or are some words excluded? Is this censorship? Does your institution, based on its mission, parent organization or space limitations, apply some restrictions to Internet use? Consider censorship and privacy issues when using the Internet.
If more than one user will need to access a site, consider each users' access and "functionality." How do users connect to the Internet and what kind of connection does the assigned resource require? Does access to the resource require a graphical user interface? If it is a popular (busy) resource, will it be accessible in the time frame needed? Is it accessible by more than one Internet tool? Do users have access to the same Internet tools and applications? Are users familiar with the tools and applications? Is the site "viewable" by all Web browsers?
Does the Internet resource have an identified comparable print or CD ROM data set or source? Does the Internet site contain comparable and complete information? (For example, some newspapers have partial but not full text information on the Internet.) Do you need to compare data or statistics over time? Can you identify sources for comparable earlier or later data? Comparability of data may or may not be important, depending on your project.
What is the context for your research? Can you find "anything" on your topic, that is, commentary, opinion, narrative, statistics and your quest will be satisfied? Are you looking for current or historical information? Definitions? Research studies or articles? How does Internet information fit in the overall information context of your subject? Before you start searching, define the research context and research needs and decide what sources might be best to use to successfully fill information needs without data overload.
The Ten C's were developed 1991-1996; a revision was made June 19, 2003. For further information contact Betsy Richmond at richmoeb@uwec.edu. Please feel free to use (unmodified) with attribution.
Now take a QUIZ!