I cringe whenever I hear someone say “I got it from the Internet.” Do you know who put it on the Internet. And why? And when?
Getting the correct information—the “true facts”–can be crucial to the success of any venture. Because information came from an authoritative source doesn’t mean it is a fact, but it does increase your odds. A scientific article that has been reviewed by peers and approved by editors has more credibility than an article in a trade journal. A balanced report has more credibility than one on the website of an obviously biased organization. A white paper by a company on a topic related to its products may have valuable insight, but should be read with an awareness of the viewpoint of the writer. A science blogger may be quite astute, but we can’t assume that blogs are written with the same objectivity as a peer-reviewed article. A report that has been revised based upon new knowledge has more validity than the earlier version of the report that is still posted on someone else’s site.
Academic libraries often have guidelines about how to evaluate Internet sources, such as the one provided by Cornell University. Even children should learn these skills; see “Be a Good Web Detective” by the Oregon School Library Information System.
Complete evaluation of a source can involve a lot of work in checking out all the cited sources, reviewing other things written by the author, and researching the author’s background. Important questions are: Who funded the research? Are there studies evaluating the bias of this website or publication? Is there a subtle bias in the choice of articles by a scientific journal? Does the traditional and well-respected news organization have a slant?.
Although a complete assessment of a source is not warranted in every situation, even a minimal consideration can be of great use and is too often neglected. Some of the basics to use in evaluating a source are little more than common sense.
- are the author and date listed?
- who is the publisher of the website?
- is the language impartial or emotional?
- does the website work? A poorly working site can be suspicious, although a professionally designed site can still have bad information
A quick tip: search on the title of the item you’re evaluating (within quotes). You may find reviews of the item or a newer version of it.
