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Research Guides

CH130 General Chemistry: Evaluate Sources

Why Evaluate Websites?

Why Evaluate Websites?


Because anyone can put information online, it is important to be able to evaluate whether information as reliable or appropriate to scholarship.

Determining reliability requires practice and critical thinking. This page lists some questions that you should ask yourself before accepting or rejecting a website for its scholarly value.

If in doubt about the merits of a website for research purposes, please discuss it with your instructor or a librarian.

Things to Think about When Evaluating Sources

Things to Think about When Evaluating Sources

Quick Set of Questions
  • Who is behind the information?
  • What is the evidence?
  • What do other sources say?
Additional Questions
  • What website is the source part of? What is the purpose and audience of that website?
  • What information can you find about the overall website/organization elsewhere (from other websites)?
  • Who wrote it?  What are the author's credentials?
  • Where did the author get the information they present in the source? And is the science accurately conveyed? 
  • Is the information in the source recent/up-to-date? 
  • What are the overall strengths or limitations?