Using Google for Research

This handout discusses provides a checklist for 5 Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites:

1. Audience

• To whom is the site directed – children, adults, students; a certain ethnicity, gender or political affiliation?
• Is it understandable by the layman, or is it highly technical requiring specialized knowledge?

2. Authority

• Is the author of the site listed?
• Can you determine his/her expertise?
• Is contact information given – phone number, address, e-mail? With what organization is he/she associated?

3. Bias

• Does the language, tone, or treatment of its subject give the site a particular slant or bias?
• Is the site objective?
• Is it designed to sway opinion?
• Organizational affiliation can often indicate bias.

4. Currency

• Is the site up-to-date with working links?
• Are dates given for when it was created and last updated?
• Is the topic current?

5. Scope

• Is the site an in-depth study of the topic going several pages deep, or is it a superficial, single-page look at the subject?
• Are statistics and sources referenced properly cited?
• Does the site offer unique information not found anywhere else, e.g., print sources?