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ENG 110 - Petherbridge: Websites

Resources and Assistance for your Annotated Bibliography and Essay

Evaluating Information Sources Critically

Before using any piece of information as a source, it should be evaluated critically. The library guide below is a very helpful resource for evaluating what you find online. It also explains how to use
Lateral Reading to help you evaluate information sources right while you're reading them.

Video from Virginia Commonwealth University about Evaluating Websites

ALA Tips

Some tips from the American Library Association

  1. Consider the source. 
    Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.
  2. Read past the headline. 
    Headlines can be outrageous in effort to get clicks. Go beyond headlines.
  3. Assess the credibility of the author. 
    Do a quick Google search on the author. What is their expertise? What organization do they represent?
  4. Look at the links and sources supporting the article. 
    Click those links. Determine if the subsequent information supports the story. Consider the reliability of the sources.
  5. Check the date.
  6. Consider that the item might be satire. 
    If it seems too outlandish, it might be satire. Do some quick research on the site and author to find out.
  7. Consider that it might be promotional. 
    Is the purpose of the site to sell a product?
  8. Check your biases.
  9. Search other news outlets to see if the news is widely reported.