Information Literacy Institute: Websites

Searching the Web

Searching Google will yield tons of Web sites. To narrow the playing field try clicking on
"Advanced Search"
Here you can limit to
"Search within a site or domain"

e.g.: search for "Amy Tan" within ".edu" sites

Another great search tool is IPL2 (formerly the Librarians' Internet Index)
www.ipl.org

Evaluating Web sites?
There is a lot of good information to be found online. That said, there is much to consider when using a web source.
Consider the following:

• What is the the domain (e.g.: .org, .com, .edu, etc.)?
• Is an author listed? Is there any indication of the author's credentials or institutional affiliation?
• Is there any indication of the date of the information?
• Can you corroborate information with a published source?

Still not sure? Then give the web site the CRAAP test:

Currency – Has the site been updated recently?  Do the links still work? Do the graphics still load? When was the article copyrighted?

Relevance – Is this article about the topic you’re researching? Who is the intended audience (college students, K-12, professors)?

Authority – What are the author’s credentials? What is the publisher’s angle? Is contact information provided?

Accuracy – Are sources cited for the claims made? Has the information been reviewed? Can you verify the facts? Are there spelling or other errors?

Purpose – Is the article intended to persuade? Does the author make the intent clear? Does it seem impartial or biased?