Is the information current or out-of -date for your topic?
Are the links functional?
Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level; not too elementary or too advanced?
Have you looked at a variety of sources before determing this is the one you will use use?
Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
Authority: the source of information
Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
What are the author's qualifications to write on this topic?
Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? For example: .com (commercial); .edu (educational); .gov (government); .org (organization); .net (network)
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness,and correctness of the infromation content
Where does the information come from?
Is the information supposrted by evidence?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose: the reason the information exists
What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
A website that asks you questions about a source you are thinking about using to help you determine whether it is a reliable and acceptable source for your paper.
