Credible or Not?
At First Glance:
Does it look like a typical website?
Does the information make sense?
Can you find the same info on two different sites?
Domain Lingo and Meaning
.com (Commercial site and usually wants to sell you something or charge you to use the site.)
.edu (College or university site which is helpful for reports on specific subjects.)
.org (Organization)
.net (Network that is typically a personal website.)
.gov (Government site which is good for factual information.)
.mil (Military website)
.kids (Websites approved by Congress for kids.)
The best sites for research would end with .edu, .gov, and sometimes .org.
Take a Second Look:
Currency
How recent is the information?
Is it current enough for your topic?
How recently has the website been updated?
Reliability
What kind of information is included in the resource?
Is it grammatically correct with no spelling errors?
Is the content of the resource primarily opinion? Is it balanced?
Does the creator provide references or sources for any mentioned data or quotations?
Authority
Who is the creator or author? What are their credentials?
Can you find any information about the author's background?
Who is the publisher or sponsor? What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information?
Are there advertisements on the website? If so, are they cleared marked?
Purpose/Point of View
Is this fact or opinion? Does the author list sources or cite references?
Is it biased? Does the author seem to be trying to push an agenda or a particular side?
Is the creator/author trying to sell you something? If so, is it clearly stated?