The advent of the Internet and the WWW has played a central role in linking people and resources throughout the world. These new technologies have made the process of finding and accessing information more user- friendly but, also more cumbersome. While these technologies enhance both information access, they also make it possible for anyone to publish on the WWW.

And there lies the caveat! The Web is a self-publishing tool, not to mention the vast number of commercial sites and advertisements popping up, and the information found should be evaluated with a critical eye.

Approach Web sites with a critical eye. The World Wide Web has much to offer, but not all sources are equally legitimate or valuable. Critically evaluate the information found. It is important to evaluate its Authority, Bias, Currency, Documentation. The Web has no “Editorial Board”!

The following sites are evaluation tools to help you assess information found on the Web.

Students Sites:

The 5Ws of Web site Evaluation (Great Handout)

ICYouSee - A guide to critical thinking about what you see on the Web by John R. Henderson, a reference librarian at the Ithaca College Library

Five Criteria for evaluating Web pages – A guide from the Cornell University Library

Evaluating Web Sites - A guide for students from Lesley University

Faculty Sites:

Evaluating Web Pages - Questions to Ask & Strategies for Getting the Answers

Faculty Checklist for Evaluating Information - A guide for students and teachers from Lesley University

Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Resources

Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools