Evaluating Information

Use the following criteria to critically evaluate print and Web based information:

Authority	Who is the author? • What does the author tell you about him or herself? What does the publication say about the author? Look for his/her credentials and/or experience • Do you feel the author is knowledgeable about the topic? • Has he/she published other books or papers on the topic? • What group is responsible for the web site other than the author? Is it a government body? (.ae or .gov) A company? (.com) An educational institution? (.edu) A research  institution? an individual? other?
Credibility of Source	Is the source well documented? • Is it published in a scholarly or peer-reviewed publication? • Is there a list of references, works cited or a bibliography? • Have you found similar information in a scholarly or peer-reviewed publication?  • Is there an email link so that you can ask questions and give feedback?
Bias	What is the purpose of the site? Is the purpose of the site to inform or to sell? Is the site expressing opinions rather than facts? How objective or biased is the information? Is there a political, social or commercial agenda? What is the tone of language used (angry, funny, balanced, educated)? Does it only reflect one point of view? (when there could be opposing viewpoints)
Current/up to date?	• Is the information on the page current? • Does it matter?(for your particular topic)
Relevant/Useful	How Useful is the information? It is assumed you will only look for information related to your topic Think critically to get and use the best information first How or why will the information on the page be useful for your project? You will need to look at several sources before you decide on the ones that are the most useful