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ENG1001-Lee-English Composition I

Evaluate Webpages

In order to determine information on the web is credible and usable for course work, take time to evaluate the who, what, and when. Use the information on the Who, What, and When tabs to help determine if a web source is credible and usable for your research.

  • Is there a named author?
  • Is there information about their background?
  • Is the author qualified to write abut the subject?
  • Does the author cite or list other sources on the information?
  • What organization or group is responsible for the web site?
  • Is there information about the submission process for the content on the web site?
  • Can anyone publish on the web site?
  • What audience is the web site targeting?
  • Is the organization of the web site logical and credible?
  • Is recent information on the subject required?
  • Is it clear when the web site was last updated? If so, how recently?
  • Are the facts consistent with other recent resourcs?

The checklist below provides a structured method to test the credibility of any website. Use this when evaluating the credibility of web resources and determining whether or not to use the resources in an assignment. If you need additional tips, check out the Digging Deeper resource.

Google Advanced Search

Google Advanced Search allows limiting results by a variety of limiters. Enter your search utilizing the keyword, phrase, date, etc. information you identified in the Organize portion of the session.

Enter search terms:

  • all these words = all words entered must be found
    •  football baseball jackson
  • this exact word or phrase = phrases entered must be found
    • "royals baseball"
  • any of these words = OR search
    • royals or raiders
  • none of these words = exclude terms (use in conjunction with one of the previous searches)
    • bobblehead
  • numbers ranging from (use in conjunction with one of the previous searches)
    • 1988..1989

Limit search terms:

  • language
    • select preferred page language from the dropdown
  • region
    • find results published in a particular region, selected from the dropdown options
  • last updated
    • limit results to be within a specific amount of time
  • site or domain
    • enter options to limit results for: .edu, .gov. or .org
  • terms appearing
    • make results appear in the text, title, or url
  • file type
    • limit to find a specific file type, selected from the drop down -- pdf for example