Before using a website, you will need to consider several factors.  Anyone can be a publisher on the Internet. Peer review is rare in the world of cyberspace.  In short, “buyer beware”.
 

What is the Purpose of the Website?

Advocacy -- sponsored by an organization attempting to influence public opinion.  The URL (uniform resource locator – the address) frequently ends in (.org).

Business/marketing -- the URL frequently ends in (.com).  While not all commercial sites try to sell something, they nevertheless warrant closer scrutiny than a government site.  Frequently, the cost of maintaining a site is supported through advertisers' links.

Informational -- presents factual information. The URL frequently ends in (.edu or .gov).  Many are sponsored by educational institutions or government agencies.

Personal -- published by an individual who may or may not have an affiliation with an institution or organization.  The URL may have a variety of endings.  A tilde (~) is frequently embedded somewhere in the URL.  Personal homepages are comparable to vanity publishing.

News -- provides extremely current information. The URL usually ends in (.com).
 
 

Can I Get There From Here?

• Can you tell the name of the site?  What is the URL of the site?
• What individual, group, or organization sponsors and/or maintains the site?
• Is it usually possible to reach the site, or is it frequently overloaded or shut down? Does the page take a long time to download?
• Does the site contain original information, or simply links?  Are the links kept up-to-date? Is help information available?

Who is the Publisher?

• Is the name of the organization given on the document?
• Can you contact the webmaster from this document? If not, can you link to a page where the webmaster's address is listed?  Can you tell whether or not it's on the same server and in the same directory (by looking at the URL)?
• Is this organization recognized in the field in which you are researching?
• What is the relationship of the author and publisher/server?
• Was the document prepared as part of the author's professional duties and within his/her area of expertise?
• Can you verify the identity of the server where the document resides?
• Does this page reside in an individual's personal account, rather than being part of an official website?

Who is the Author?

• Is the author a recognized authority on the topic?  Has the author published related materials dealing with the topic? What is the author's training or experience with the topic?
• The document should give biographical information, including the author's position, institutional affiliation, and address. Look for an address, telephone number and email address for the author so that you can request more information on his or her work and professional background.
• Is the author cited in other documents? See if the author's document is linked to another document you trust.

What About the Document Itself?

• Is the scope of the document clearly stated?
• Is the document an integral resource or has it been abstracted from another source, perhaps losing meaning or links in the process?

Is It Real and Fair?

• Look at the URL. Does the document reside on the webserver of an organization that has a stake in the issue at hand such as a political or philosophical agenda?  If so, assume that the information will be presented in the best possible light.
• Are there any obvious gaps or omissions in the coverage of the topic?
• Are all sides of controversial issues represented or is it necessary to seek alternative views?
• Are there indications of gender or racial biases and stereotyping in text or graphics?
• Does the document include a bibliography?  Does the author display knowledge of related sources?
• If the author's perspective is controversial, does he/she acknowledge it?

Should I Believe the Research?

• Is there an explanation of the research method used to gather and present data?
• Is the methodology appropriate to the topic and does it allow for duplication of the study?
• Find at least three other sources that support this source.
• Does the author follow a recognized style manual to cite references and quoted materials?

Want Some Final Thoughts?

• If you want more information, try opening the URL minus the filename.  As a result, you would open http://www.asep.com instead of (http://www.asep.com/images/asepmain.map?133,251).
• Does the document include the date when the information was gathered?
• You wouldn’t make use of anonymously written documents, ones with poor grammar or misspelled words – don’t do it here either.