Skip to Main Content

World History: Websites

Evaluating Websites

Authority
  • Who wrote it?
  • What are the author's credentials?
  • Who sponsors the web page?
Audience
  • Who is the target audience?
  • What is the purpose of the page? 
    Advocacy, news, opinion, scholarship...
Currency
  • When was the information published?
  • Has a more recent publication disputed these claims?
Objectivity
  • Is there a bias?
  • How can you tell?
  • Are facts accurately cited?
Support
  • Are sources cited? 
  • Are citations from well-known authorities?

Other Criteria

  • How deeply is the topic covered? 
  • What other information do you need to round out your argument?
  • Is the content (article, book, etc.) easily available? Do you have enough time to use ILL?