It is important to evaluate all the internet resources that you intend to use for your assignments. Not all information on the internet is valid or authoritative. Anyone with the right skills and equipment can create a website on the internet.
There are a few factors to consider when you evaluate internet resources for tertiary study and research. If you are not sure where to begin, start by asking yourself the following questions: |
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| 1. Who is the author? |
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Consider the credentials of the author - look at any information provided about him/her e.g. Where do they work? What qualifications do they hold? |
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| 2. What is the
domain for the site? |
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The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address for a website e.g. http://info.library.unsw.edu.au/skills/tutorials.html.
Look at the 3-letter domain within the site address e.g. .edu, .org, .net, .com. Generally, you can conclude that information on an educational (.edu), organisational (.org) or government (.gov) domain is quite authoritative, but there are exceptions to this rule. You must carefully evaluate all sites.
Be wary of sites on commercial domains (.com) which might contain information that is biased towards the company that put up the site. |
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| 3. How up-to-date is the site? |
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Good websites should include the date
that they were last updated. For a topical subject, it's important
that the information be regularly updated to incorporate new
developments in the field. |
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| 4. Who links to this site? |
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If other websites are linking to the site that you are evaluating, it may be an indication that it contains useful information. If you are evaluating a site that is linked from other authoritative organisations (e.g. government or educational domains) it is a good sign!
To find out who is linking to the site, go to and enter the URL into the Links section of the Page specific search. |
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| 5. How good is the presentation? |
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Check the webpage for grammatical errors and use your personal judgement to determine if the content is on a 'scholarly' level. For example, the information might be on an educational domain (.edu) and was last updated in Jan 2007, but if it is poorly written, you will not want to use it for your assignment. |
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| This page presents you with a basic outline for evaluating internet resources. If you would like more information, please click on the links under More Information at the top of this page. |
For UNSW Students
