Evaluating sources is a critical component of the research process. Internet sources, unlike scholarly published articles, and sources from major news media outlets, are not regulated for accuracy or quality.  So  evaluating information you find on the internet  is very important when you are researching-- in any academic discipline. 

Evaluate: who is hosting the site?

A URL is a web address, the string of letters and/or numbers (usually starting with http or https) that lead you to a website. The letters after the final period refer to the website's Top-Level Domain (TLD).  Examples of these are .com or .org. Domain suffixes can tell you what the website is for, who put it together, and can help you decide if a website is reliable enough to use in your research.

Educational, Research institution: .edu

Organization, Non-Profit  group: .org

U.S. State & Federal Government agency: .gov

Commercial: .com

Military: .mil   
Network related: .net
Geographical location or country: .us, .uk, .pa, .nys, .nyc

 The CRAAP test is a tool for evaluating sources on the internet; it is descriptive and easy to remember.  

The CRAAP Test for evaluating sources

Currency: The date & timeliness of the information posted

• When was the information published, or posted?
• Has the information been updated or revised?
• Is the webpage information outdated for the topic?

 Relevance: The value, or importance of the information for your needs 

• What kind of information is included in the resource?  Is the information on the topic superficial, or is it presented as a detailed analysis?
• Type of information and level of information: is it written for a general audience? 
• Can the information be verified by other sources?

Authority: The source of the information

• Who is the author? What are the author's credentials? Are the author's credentials appropriate with the information they are writing about?
• Is the information associated with  an affiliated organization? What is the reputation of the organization?
• Is contact information listed? Is there a "Contact Us" page? A "Mission statement" page?

 Accuracy: Reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information

• Where does the information come from (check the domain in the URL)
• Who is the creator or author? What is the authority of the organization? Are they reputable?
• What are the credentials of the author or the organization? 
• If it is a journal, is the article peer-reviewed?
• What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information?

Purpose: The reason your information exists 

• Is the purpose of the website clearly stated? Check "About", or "Mission Statement" pages.
• Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Does it represent a point of view? If it is opinion, is it balanced? 
• Is the subject approached from an objective viewpoint, or is the author trying to convince you of something?
• Is the information biased? Can the information be verified by another source, or supported by independent evidence?
• Are advertisements prominent on the website?

When you use the resources of Lock Haven University Libraries, or any other library, you have the benefit of using sources which have been evaluated by librarians, scholars, and publishers for content, accuracy, and validity.

Attached is a document detailing criteria to help you evaluate websites: click on the document to download.