Verifying Online Sources

1. What evidence is there for the author being an authority on the subject?

• author’s name, contact information, qualifications, work experience, credentials, connections, affiliates

2. Are there any clues as toward their bias?

• transparency, are they paid to endorse products?

3. What date was their piece published?

4. Are the works cited?

• list of references, hyperlinks, are they credible sources or internal links?, blog roll

5. What other sources can be found specifically offline?

• multimedia sources more credible

6. Site credibility

• look for your content in non-biased sources, “follow the money”: parent organizations, funding

7. Websites:

• personal home page: run by an individual
• special interest website: non-profit or activist site (purpose behind everything published)
• professional site: institutions and organizations (research, reference sources, fact sheets)
• news and journalistic sites/media organizations: reputation important
• commercial sites: business and self-promotion (look for awards, reputation, or reorganization)
• “Like any other source, the authority of the author helps determine the value of the information.”