Why Evaluate?

Internet is not one big electronic library.	Library resources have undergone editorial processes by publishers. They have then passed selection guidelines by librarians and professors. No one moderates the content of the Internet as a whole.
Anyone can publish a website.	All you need is access to a server. All students here at Furman can publish a web site through their First Class account.
The scope of information on the WWW is extremely broad.	Anything from Census data to the weather in Nassau to a dinosaur art gallery. The Internet as a whole is very different from the databases you have access to via the library's web site.

How to Evaluate

When librarians decide what resources the library will provide they use a set of criteria to evaluate each item.
Some of these criteria can be used to evaluate Internet resources - Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency.

	Ask ... Who is responsible for the site? What are their qualifications? With whom are they affiliated? Look for the name of an author or webmaster, and their affliation. Go up to the main or hoome page of the site to find out more about the creator(s). (Start at the end of the URL and delete to the /, or look for a link to "main" or "home"). Look at the domain (.edu=education, .gov=government, .com=business, .org=nonprofit). This part of the URL may be able to tell you something about the site's authority. For example: Will the real White House please stand up? (which is the "official" site) http://www.whitehouse.gov/ http://www.whitehouse.net/
	Examples	Authority	No Authority

	Ask ... Is the site free of spelling and grammatical errors? Is documentation provided (a bibliography or reference list)? Can the information be verified using another source? Proof read the site. Look for documentation or mention of sources you can verify. If you doubt the accuracy, do not use the information.
	Examples	Accuracy	No Accuracy

	Ask ... Is the purpose to inform or persuade? Is a bias evident? Who is responsible for the site? Do they have a vested interest in your thinking a certain way? What percentage of the page's links point inward, outward? Does the page contain ads? What are they for? Examine the language used. Go up to the main or index page for the site to find out more about the creator(s) or sponsors. Follow some of the links. A site that has nothing to hide will not hesitate to provide links to outside sources that support its claims.
	Examples	Objective	Not Objective

	Ask ... Is the page dated? What does the date mean - last updated or first published? Is there mention of how often the site is updated? Does the site's content warrant frequent updates? Are any of the links out-dated (dead)? Look for a date. Visit the site after an event that would affect the page's currency (ie. release of new information that should be included). Compare it to other sources. Look for link rot (dead links).
	Examples	Current	Not Current

Ask ... Is there enough information to evaluate the site? Is the site easy to navigate? Is a link to the site provided from another unrelated site such as our library's subject guides or a departmental web page? Has the site been reviewed or rated? Keep in mind, looks can be deceiving...

Outline

Tricks of the Trade

Tools of the Trade