Critical Thinking and Evaluating Resources

Author

Who wrote the information?

What is their expertise?

Are they recognized for research in this field?

Are they cited as an authority by other sources?

Does the page contain extensive contact information about the author?

Bias

From what point of view is the author presenting the information?

Do they represent a particular lobby or special interest group?

Does the publisher have a known bias in this area?

Do they acknowledge their bias in the treatment of the material covered?

Currency

When was it written?

When was it published?

Is the information current and cited with dates?

Has the material been updated based on the date of the web page?

Publishing body

Can the publisher be identified? What publishing body does the URL point to?

Is this an individual or corporate publisher?

What is the relationship between the publisher and author?

Has the information been reviewed by other experts in their field (refereed)?

Is the publisher an authority in this field?

Match

Does the information meet the users needs?

Does it point to further areas of study?

Does the subject require historical resources or the most current information?

Does the information found match your research question?

Referral to other sources

Are there links to this page from other credible sources?

Do they display awards for their site? Who is the awarding entity?

Is there a bibliography of sources cited available to the viewer?

Does the author correctly cite their resources?

Does the information meet your expectations relating to the field of study?

Verifiable

Does the information the author provides match your research?

Could you contact the author or publisher and verify the information?

Is an author credited as the creator of the work?

Can you verify the origin of the server posting the information?

Does the author cite the supporting documentation?

Is the same information written in another format?

Evaluating Resources Worksheet

To evaluate your Internet source of information answer the following questions:

Who wrote the information?

What is their expertise?

How current is the information?

Who is the individual or corporate publisher?

What is the author's bias?