Using Web Sites for Research

Web sources can be particularly hard to evaluate; here is a handy acronym to help you determine whether you should use a particular web site for your research or not.

CURRENCY: How recently was this information published/posted? Can you find a publication date?
RELIABILITY: Is the information supported by evidence? Can it be confirmed by other sources?
AUTHORITY: Who wrote the information - are they an expert or knowledgeable in their field? (i.e. For health information, did a doctor or nurse write it? For science information, did a scientist or researcher write it?)
PURPOSE / POINT OF VIEW: Why was it written? To sell something? To sway opinion? Is it biased toward a particular point of view?

Used with permission from Pace University Library LibGuide: Real News vs. Fake News

Need help?

If you need additional help with your research for this class, please don't hesitate to contact me. We can set up a time to meet for an individual consultation, and work through all your research questions.

E-mail: laurie.kutner@uvm.edu