Skip to Main Content

Research 101: Evaluating Information on the Internet: At First Glance

Find out how to avoid a catastrophe when you engage with a web site!

On this page, we'll show you how to take a quick glance to know whether the site is worthy of your attention with just 3 steps!

(1) At First Glance

At your first glance at a web page, look at the following:

checkmark The URL - the web address

checkmark A link for "About Us,” “FAQ,” “Mission,” “Philosophy,” “Background,” “Biography,” etc.

checkmark  A link for “Updated, “Last Update,” or “Last Revised” – usually at the bottom of the page

If you can't find  these 3 items or if you do & they don't measure up, don't bother to spend any more time with the information you've found!

Read More:

Let's take a look at a URL: https://epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics

We'll take a look at the elements in this URL, which can tell us quite a bit about the web page and the site to which it belongs.

Sample website URL

What is the domain? The domain will tell you:

  • Potential type of web site
  • Potential motives
  • Potential quality

What is the domain suffix?

Is it .gov | .edu | .org | .net | .com | .biz ? Something else? Knowing this helps you to know possible motive, purpose, & authority.

What's on the homepage?

The home page of the site: Go back to where the domain suffix ends. Example: For https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics, the home page is https://www.epa.gov. The home page will tell you:

  • Where the information is coming from, who is supporting it

What kind of the page is the web page you are looking at ?

  • Personal page? - Look for a personal name (e.g., jbarker or barker) following a tilde ( ~ ), a percent sign ( % ), or the words "users," "members," or "people". Often not a good source of information--be sure to check author's credentials!
  • Part of a web hosting site? In other words, is the server a commercial provider mostly of web page hosting (Example: aol.com)?.- Often not an organization that would take responsibility for the content.
  • Part of an organization's site? - This is typically what you find.
  • If you can’t find any link like “About Us,” “Mission,” or “Philosophy” on the page where you are, then go to the homepage to find this information.
  • These links are usually available at the homepage
    • Look for organization's mission or philosophy--this may indicate motives
    • What is the reputation of the organization providing the web site?
  • How current is the information on the web page you are interested in? Look for a date near the top of the screen or near the bottom, after the information
  • How current does the information need to be for what you are searching for?

(2) At Second Glance

If your web site passes the first glance, take a second look! Answer these questions:

checkmark Who exactly is responsible for the information on the page? What are hthe author's  credentials? Is this a self-proclaimed expert? Or someone with a professional background or other experience in the field?

checkmark  Is it likely that I am reading quality information?

 

Evaluation pictured as a neverending spiral(3) More than a Glance: Time for In-Depth Evaluation

If your site & your web page have past both glances, now you can invest some time!

Look closely for the criteria we've mentioned: authority, timeliness, documentation, credibility, accuracy.

Our next step: Taking a closer look at Authority...

Just a Little Reminder: You can find almost anything on the Internet: articles, posts, blogs, reports, data charts, studies, advocacy sites, and more. These guidelines will help you navigate through any kind of information source you find in the Internet.