Although the WWW has
proved to be an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and
laypeople alike, it naturally raises some questions. With over
2 billion web sites, and more coming everyday, how can you be
sure that the information you are getting is accurate and reliable.
Here are some points to ponder...
Who owns or created the
site?
*
Is it easy to identify
the creator of the site?
*
What do we know about
the author? Do they list their occupation, years of experience,
position, or education?
*
Are there links to
homepages or other institutions?
*
Is there contact
information available?
*
Does the owner have
point of view or bias that would influence the information
on the site?
What is the site about?
*
Is it an overview
of a topic or in-depth research?
*
Has this same information
been published elsewhere? If so where?
*
Could better information
about your topic be found elsewhere?
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Can the information
be verified?
When
was the site created? Last updated?
*
Are creation and
revision dates listed on the site?
*
Was the revision
date recent?
Why was the site created?
*
Inform
*
Explain
*
Persuade
*
Entertain
*
Advertising
Where is this site housed?
*
Does the URL
provide clues about ownership?
*
What is the title
of the page?
*
Who is the Internet
provider?
*
domain name
*
suffix (.com,
.org, .edu, .gov)
*
files & folders
Administration Building, 4900 Curry Road,
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
