Think about each of these things when evaluating a website.
- Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher? Might the author and publisher have a bias that could color the information provided on their website? (Hint: Scroll down to the very bottom of the web page to see who owns the copyright to the site.)
- Audience: Who is this website created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group? If so, is it still an appropriate source for your scholarly research?
- Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources that you have found on the topic? Does the site reference other sources to back-up its information?
- Content: What is the content of the website - images, articles, a blog? The type of domain (.edu, .gov, .org) may provide some clues about the information. Can you detect a bias? Are there cited references?
- Currency: How recent is the website? Is there information on when it was last updated?