How Do We Evaluate Internet Information?

*Look for authorship: “about_____” or “FAQ” or “Site Map”

*Verify your information from another source (preferably print)

*Look at addresses for clues. Think about what the origin of the address means in terms of content.

1) gov=government

2) org=nonprofit organization,

3) edu=educational institution

4) mil=military

5) com=commercial

*Look for the tilde (~) which usually indicates a personal web page that may not be affiliated with an organization. For example:

Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Booklists for Teens!
http://tln.lib.mi.us/~amutch/jen

*Look for updates: when was the last time new or revised information was added to this site?

*BIAS (n) 1) an unfair preference for or dislike of something. When looking at websites, be aware that some organizations may slant their information a certain way. For example, the Philip Morris website’s section on teen smoking will word their information very differently than the American Lung Association’s website.

For websites that have already been pre-screened and selected for students, visit LREI’s Homework 311 website: http://www.lrei.org/libres/hw311.html