LibGuides: ENG 111 (older): Evaluating Sources

Websites: Evaluating for Relevance, Authority, Bias

Instructions: Read the information below and view the website examples. This will help you complete the internet searching portion of your research assignment.

There are many things to take into account when evaluating a website (or any source of information) to determine if it is appropriate for your research needs.

Relevance
- What is the site about? Is the information useful to your research?
- Does the site provide you with new information, or does it just restate information you already know?
- Will this help you answer what you want to know about your research topic?
- Is the level of information is appropriate for your research? Is it directed at a specialized or a general audience?
Authority
- Who wrote this? Are they an expert in the field? Expert authors typically display their credentials somewhere on the site.
- Are references provided for the information on the site? Credible sites should provide references for the facts and perspectives they present.
- Can the information be verified? Look for quotations, data, statistics, or other facts that you can check against other sources. Key facts should always be verified to ensure they are accurate. You may want to read the works cited to verify that ideas have not been misrepresented or taken out of context.
Bias
- What is the author's point of view or bias? Does the author or publisher's bias impact the reliability of the information provided?
- Does the site include opposing viewpoints? This can indicate a more balanced information source.
- Does the site use emotional language, prejudice, stereotypes, deception, or manipulation? Avoid sites that use extreme or deceptive techniques to push their point of view.

Below are some examples of websites and how we would evaluate them using these three criteria to determine if they are research-quality.

Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
Relevance: If you're researching Lincoln's life, this site will give you a vast pool of information, complete with citations which you can then use to conduct more research.
Authority: Northern Illinois University; pay attention to WHO is creating the information. If an author is an expert in the field, they are more likely to ensure accuracy of information. Likewise, reputable institutions will be more likely to support scholarly research. However, make sure the sponsoring organization doesn't have an interest in the data, such as a tobacco company supporting a study that proves tobacco smoke isn't harmful to health.
Bias: This site appears to have a minimum of bias and simply aims to inform.
Ancient Metallurgy
Authority: Notice the web address. There is a tilde (~) in the URL, which may indicate a student or faculty member's personal site. There are sources listed at the bottom of the page, so we can verify the facts. There is a link at the top of the page, where we can find more information about David K. Jordan, the author. He is a professor of Anthropology, and is most likely an expert on the subject of Ancient Metallurgy, according to his credentials. Clicking on links such as "About Us" or "Contact Us" can give us information about authors and sponsoring organizations.
Bias: None apparent.
Relevance: If you are researching ancient metallurgy, then this is certainly relevant information. Because this is a beginner's guide for college students, then the information will likely not be for a general audience, which may be needed for this type of specialized research.
Dog Island Free Forever
Authority: Can you figure out who wrote this information? Can you find out where they got it? Remember to double-check a source, especially if found on the Internet. While Dog Island certainly sounds like a magical place for dogs, a simple web search will find more instances of a Dog Island that has plenty of vacation rentals for humans. People do intentionally place inaccurate information on the Web, for any number of reasons. This site does have a disclaimer at the bottom of the page, in which they tell you they are joking, but we are not always so lucky.
Bias: N/A
Relevance: Unless you are researching fake internet sites, this will not prove relevant for any scholarly research.
Gigalaw.com Daily News
Relevance: "Internet and Technology Law News Tips" is the focus of the site, so anyone conducting this type of research may find this information useful.
Authority: We see the author's name in several places, and a few clicks ("About Doug Isenberg") will take us to his full Curriculum Vitae, indicating his expertise in the field. Moreover, the author is not creating this information himself. He is bringing in articles from reputable sources from around the web.
Bias: Minimal bias detected.
Mark's Daily Apple
Relevance: Are you researching fad diets? This blog could be helpful, but keep in mind that it is a personal blog, and not a scholarly source.
Authority: The author lives the Paleo lifestyle, and certainly has success with it. However, he has no apparent credentials to make him an expert in health, nutrition, or diets in general.
Bias: The author is very into this lifestyle, and will naturally be biased toward it. However, this blog could be used if the purpose of your research is to include personal testimonials or some other humanistic aim.

Wikipedia - Hendersonville, NC
Authority: Anyone can contribute and edit Wikipedia articles, which can result in the distribution of incorrect information. See the highlighted inaccuracies in the above link. As such, Wikipedia should not be used as a resource for academic research.
Relevance: While you wouldn't want to cite a Wikipedia article, you could use the "External Links" provided at the end of some of the articles to conduct your own research. You could also use Wikipedia to introduce yourself to a topic you know nothing about, and to help you in choosing search terms.
Bias: Not relevant.

Wikipedia - Strengths, Weaknesses and Article Quality
Read for yourself about Wikipedia's editing policy and potential pitfalls of open-source pages.
NPR Article
Just because it's published online doesn't mean it's free. This article from NPR cites a study that was published in the journal "Developmental Psychology." Clicking on the link will take you to the article page, which will charge $11.95 to read. However, BRCC Library subscribes to a database with access to this very article for FREE. This doesn't directly relate to "Relevance, Authority, or Bias," but it's something to consider all the same.

ENG 111 (older)

Helpful Links

Websites: Evaluating for Relevance, Authority, Bias

Internet Research: What's Credible?

Information Literacy: The Perils of Online Research