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"Caveat Emptor" - The Latin phrase is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary(OED) as follows:
The Web offers a wealth of information on every topic and subject matter imaginable. You can retrieve this information anytime of the day, granted you have access to a computer and the Internet. Unfortunately, a good portion of the Web's information is unorganized and unreliable. Therefore, it is critical that you use the evaluation concepts discussed in Evaluating Resources-Overview when dealing with Web resources. Listed below are some basics to consider when evaluating Web pages:" caveat emptor [lit., let the purchaser beware], let the purchaser examine the article he is buying before the bargain is completed, so that in case of disappointment after purchase he may not blame the seller."
Basic Web Evaluation Techniques | Important Web Facts | Additional Resources
Basic Web Evaluation Techniques
- Check the URL and domain name.
The URL or Uniform Resource Locator is the "address" of the Web site, while the domain name ( .com, .gov, etc..) is used in the URL to identify the source or purpose of the Web site. For example:
.gov - Government agencies
For scholarly research try to use Web sites with .edu,.gov, and .org domains. Use Web sites with .com domain with careful discretion as it is difficult to determine their origin. Also, when browsing .edu sites use Web pages with the ~ (tilde) after the edu. with discretion. For example: www.buffalo.edu/~ACB12 . This is a usually an indication that it is an individual homepage of a student or faculty member of a university.
.edu - Educational institutions
.org - Organizations (nonprofit)
.mil - Military
.com - commercial business
.net - Network organizations
- Check for a discernable author.
Unlike books and periodicals which almost always provide the names of authors, Web sites often do not list the creator of the pages. Contact information should always be readily available for the individual or organization responsible for the site.
- Check for page currency.
Look for a copyright date at the bottom of the homepage or for updated content throughout.
- Check for accuracy.
Accurate information is always verifiable from other reputable sources of information.
- Check for consistency.
Information being presented should be consistent with what you already know about the topic.
- Check for objectivity.
If the information being presented is objective, all sides of the issues are addressed. Should an author take a position, it should not be to the exclusion of all other viewpoints.
- Check for professionalism.
The Web site should be professionally designed and free of spelling and other grammatical errors.
Important Web Facts
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Any person or organization can publish information on the Web.
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Web pages are not organized
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Most books and scholarly periodicals have been edited and evaluated by their publishers, while Web pages are not evaluated by the search engines which index them. Even subject directories which have been "organized" into categories by people, are rarely critically evaluated for content.
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Web sources can change on a day to day basis, adhering to a "Here today, gone tomorrow" concept.
Additional Resources
For more information on how to evaluate Web sites, go to:
UC Berkeley Library, Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask
New Mexico State University Library - Evaluation Criteria
