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Assignment Calculator

A Time Management Tool for Researching and Writing Your Paper

Step 6 – Find and Evaluate Websites

Key Points

  • Use several search directories and search engines.
  • Recognize domains and use them to limit a search range.
  • Remember to evaluate web resources.

Finding Information on the Web
The Internet puts a lot of information at your fingertips: blogs, wikis, websites, and social networking sites. But it is important to remember that anyone can publish a website, and there is no guarantee that a website has been reviewed or evaluated for quality. Always question the content and quality of sources you use. Your professor wants you to use scholarly resources, and there are ways to identify a reputable site. Remember to take good notes. Always note where you found your information so that you can properly cite the sources later in your paper.

Below are other tips and tricks to know about while searching the Internet.

Add Domains to Your Search
In a Google search, you can limit to a particular type of domain by adding site: to your search. For example, site:edu climate change coral reefs will give you results only from educational websites. Here are other domains you can use:

com = commercial
mil = branch of the military
edu = educational institution
net = network (private Internet service provider)
gov = governmental agency
org = nonprofit agency

Screenshot of Google search -- site:edu climate change coral reefs

Finding Information on Wikipedia

Wikipedia logo

There are pros and cons to using Wikipedia.  This search tool provides quick and free facts and information about your topic just by clicking “search.”  The information is not always verified though and can include mistakes.  Some instructors will not allow Wikipedia to be used as a source in their research assignments.  If you decide to use Wikipedia as a source, back up what information you learned with another resource to verify its accuracy.

Evaluating Information
Ask these questions to evaluate the quality of a web resource:

Currency

Currency is important because information can quickly become obsolete. Supporting your thesis statement with facts that have been superseded by new research or recent events weakens your argument. Of course, not all assignments require the most current information; older materials can provide an historical or comprehensive understanding of your topic.

Ask yourself:

  • When was the information published or last updated?
  • Have newer articles been published on your topic?
  • Are links or references to other sources up to date?
  • Is my topic in an area that changes rapidly, like technology or popular culture?

Authority

Authority is important in judging the credibility of the author's assertions. In a trial regarding DNA evidence, a jury gives far more authority to what a genetics specialist has to say compared to someone off the street.

Ask yourself:

  • What are the author's credentials?
  • Is the author affiliated with an educational institution or prominent organization?
  • Can I find information about the author from reference books or the Internet?
  • Do other books or articles cite the author?

Accuracy

Ask yourself:

  • Are there statements you know to be false?
  • Are there errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar?
  • Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts before it was published?
  • What citations or references support the author’s claims?
  • What do other people have to say about the topic?

Relevance

Relevance is important because you are expected to support your ideas with pertinent information. For example, a source detailing Einstein's marriage and family life would not be relevant to his theories in physics.

Ask yourself:

  • Does the information answer my research question?
  • Does the information meet the stated requirements of the assignment?
  • Is the information too technical or too simplified for me to use?
  • Does the source add something new to my knowledge of your topic?

Purpose

Purpose is important because books, articles, and websites exist to educate, entertain, or sell a product or point of view. Some sources may be frivolous or commercial in nature, providing inadequate, false, or biased information. Other sources are more ambiguous concerning their partiality. Varied points of view can be valid, as long as they are based upon good reasoning and careful use of evidence.

Ask yourself:

  • Why did the author or publisher make this information available?
  • Is there an obvious bias or prejudice?
  • Are alternative points of view presented?
  • Does the author omit important facts or data that might disprove a claim?
  • Does the author use strong or emotional language?

 

Now that you have researched and evaluated your online resources, proceed to Step 7: Work with Your Topic .

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“Evaluating Information” created by University of Notre Dame at https://library.sjsu.edu/infopower