Paralegal: Evaluating Websites

When searching for information on the Internet, it's important that you evaluate the source and the content for accuracy and credibility to make reasonably sure that it's from a reliable source. The following criteria will help you to know what to look for.
   

Authority & Accuracy

• Is there an author or sponsor, such as a company or corporation?
• What are the author's credentials? Do they have the necessary education or expertise?
• Is there a link to information about the author or contact information? Don't confuse the author with the webmaster for the site. 
• Domain extensions also help to identify a credible site.
   
  • .edu - academic institution
  • .gov - government website
  • .com - commercial site
  • .org - nonprofit organization
  • .net - network of computers

 Purpose & Content

• What is the site's purpose?
• Does the information appear biased or to express an opinion?
• Is the content factual? Can you verify the information through other resources?
• Does the content express unbiased facts or instead try to persuade the reader or sell a product?

 Currency

• When was the site last updated?
• Is it well maintained? Do all links work?
• Are all linked sites active and current?  
• Does the content support the site's purpose? Is the information current?

Take a look at the Texas State Library's Top Ten Reasons why you should choose the library's databases over the Internet for research.