Internet Credibility

Is it Real?

How do you know?

Not everything on the Internet is real!

How can you tell what is real and what isn't?

Ask questions!

Take this quick quiz?

Look at the URL

URL is the site address: http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us

URL Suffixes

Questions you should ask yourself when evaluating a web site

Authority

Who is the author/creator? Are his/her credentials listed? Is the person a teacher or student of the topic? Is there contact information, such as an e-mail address? Does the author have a reputation? Has the author published works in traditional format? Is the author affiliated with an organization? Does this organization appear to support or sponsor the page? What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the information, if anything?

Purpose
Is the purpose of the page stated? Is the information intended to inform or teach, sell, persuade, entertain or enlighten?

Accuracy
Where does the information come from? Are there references? Can you verify any of the information in independent sources or from your own knowledge? Has the information been reviewed or refereed? Does the language or tone seem biased?

Currency
If relevant, when was the information gathered? When was it posted? When was it last revised?

Uniqueness
Is this information available elsewhere, in print or electronic format? Could you find the same or better information in a general encyclopedia?

Citation
Remember to always give proper credit to your sources by following proper citation rules. Rules can be found anywhere on the Internet. Here are two sources:

http://citationmachine.net/

http://www.winsor.edu/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=297

Your Overall Assessment
Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper? Why or why not?