The Internet can be an excellent source of information for research.  It is necessary to
understand that not all information found on the Internet is factual.  Nor is all  information designed for use in a scholarly environment.  For this purpose, it is necessary to think critically when using pages from the World Wide Web.  This guide and the accompanying LearningQuest can aid in evaluation of Internet web pages for use in research.

Consider the following when using the Internet as a research tool:

• Who is the "author" of the Internet site? 
  • Is it a college or university? 
  • Government?  Corporation? 
  • A personal home page?
• When was the page last updated? 
  • Is the information presented out-of-date? 
  • Was new information added at the last updating?
• Is the information factual and does it meet stated research goals? 
  • If information is presented from a journal, book or presentation, is bibliographic information provided so you can verify the information.
• Are there outdated links on the web page?  
  • Web sites have a tendency to disappear.  Information found on Internet web pages can be relevant one day and outdated the next. 
  • Are there any inactive links included in the Internet site?  If you find links to other information that are inactive or outdated, you can assume the initial site has not been thoroughly checked.