ABI 50A: Animal Biology Lab

Accuracy

Does the author cite references to support her/his thesis? Are the references also from credible sources?

 

Author

Who produced the information? What can you find about the author’s credentials?

 

Objectivity

Is the content presented as fact or speculation? What is the source’s purpose?

 

Timeframe

When was the source written/created? Is the information still relevant?

A useful method to evaluate websites — CRAAP test: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose

It is also a very good idea to employ a method of corroborating information from sites by using “lateral reading” - look to see what other sources say about your source.  This is a method commonly used by fact checkers like Snopes.

Here are some more resources about verifying information online by lateral reading:
Rowan University Lib Guide

Purdue Lib Guide