About Information on the Internet

Unlike the books in a library, the information found on the Internet has not necessarily been through a selection or screening process. This means that while there is a great deal of information which is valid and accurate, there is also much which is of a more questionable quality.

So how do you check?

Linda Bruce (School PC Australia, September 1998, p2) suggests asking the following questions about Internet information:

1. Does the site cite the author of the material?
2. Does the site supply an e-mail address for contact, and if so, does the author respond to your e-mail?
3. Does the site list the author's credentials or experience or do you need to accept expertise on face value?
4. Many quality sites link to other sites related to the issue. Does the site you have located link to others or does it stand alone?
5. Can you find any other information sources, whether they be Web pages, journals or encyclopedias, to confirm this information?
6. Beware of bias. What does the site aim to do? Why is the Web master publishing the site? Which cause, if any, does it promote?
7. Is the information objective? Does it air both sides of the discussion? Be suspicious of information that relies on emotion rather than debate.
8. How well informed is the material compared with sites you can vouch for?
9. Has the site been recently updated? If not, it may be dead or outdated.
10. Has the veracity of information on this site been checked by others?

By asking these questions you will be better able to assess the contents of each site and whether it is capable of meeting your information needs.