When you are looking at a web page and deciding if it is appropriate to use in your research you must think about how to evaluate a website in order to decide if it is worth using in your research.

For example:

How accurate is this website?

• Who is the author? Have they written more on this topic?
• Has the author provided contact information?
• Is there a bibliography or a reference list?
• Does the content make sense and match other sources that you have looked at?

Look at the authority of the website:

• Is the author affiliated with an academic institution?
• What is the URL? - is it .com for commercial or .edu for education?

What is the context of the writing?

• Is the author writing for personal or political reasons?
• Are the arguments balanced?
• Is there an evidence of a bias?

How current is the website?

• Are the web documents dated?
• When was the site last updated?
• Look at the date of the items listed on the reference list, how old are they?
• Are the links on the page broken?

What is the design like?

• Is it professional looking and easy to navigate?