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Getting Started with Research at Shapiro Library

This guide discusses understanding information sources, formulating a topic and search phrase, where and how to search the library for information, how to evaluate sources, how to cite sources, and more.

Evaluating Websites


It is particularly important that you evaluate any web resources you use (e.g. websites, blogs, wikis, etc.) because there is no editorial process for the web and anyone can post anything online. When evaluating web resources it is important to pay attention to details and examine these six main criteria: 

So, how do you evaluate the information you find on the internet? Pay attention to the details! You'll want to examine the author, audience, date, content, purpose, affiliation, design, advertising, mission statements, contact information, etc. on each website you visit to determine the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, functionality, reliability, credibility, and validity of the site.

Check out these resources for additional help: