You be the Judge!
Criteria for judging websites for academic use:
1. Author's Credentials & Affiliation
- Who is the author? What is their expertise on this topic? Who sponsors the site? Check the domain (.edu, .org, .com, .gov, .net) to see if it is a university, business, organization, or other. Check for an "About Us" or "Contact Us" link.
2. Purpose of the site (educational or commercial?)
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What is the stated purpose of the site? Check the "About..." link, if there is one. Is the site intended to inform, educate, entertain, or sell a product? Would you quote information from this site in a college research paper?
3. Bias (Sponsorship, Language, or Images)
- What position or opinion is presented and does it seem biased? What kind of sites does this one link to? Does the author of the cite provide information about both sides of the argument? Who or which organization is funding the website? Is it transparent how the funding is being used? Is the funding affecting the information presented?
4. Currency (Up-To-Date)
- When was the page created? Is there a copyright or last updated date? Do you need more current information? Do links on the site still connect to their destination?
5. Accuracy
- Does the information presented seem accurate? Are the facts verifiable by another source or original research?
6. References to Sources of Information
- Does the website provide citations for the information? Is there a bibliography available?