Evaluate Websites

In today’s digital world, anyone can publish information online—so how do you know what to trust? When you're researching for a paper or project, it's important to make sure the websites you use are reliable, accurate, and up to date. This guide will walk you through simple steps to help you figure out whether a website is credible and appropriate for academic work.

Use these questions to determine whether the source is credible. Many websites are not "good" or "bad," but somewhere in the middle. These questions will help you decide whether the website is trustworthy.

Who created it?

• Who wrote or created the content?
• Is there an "about us" page? What does it tell you about who created the content?
• Are they an expert on the topic? How can you tell if they're an expert? [Tip: Google their name to see if you can find out anything else about them.]
• Example: A health article on nutrition from the Mayo Clinic website, written by a licensed nutritionist, is more credible than a blog post on a health food company website.

When was it created?

• When was the web page created? Or do you know when it was last updated?
• Was it published recently? Can you tell how old the information is? [Tip: For some topics, this is very important.]
• Example: A technology news article updated within the past month would be more up-to-date (and credible) than a social media post from 2020.

Who sponsors the information?

• Who funds the web page?
• Is there an "about us" page? What does it tell you about the organization sponsoring the information?
• Do they have any conflicts of interest? [Tip: Google the organization to see if you can find any other information about them.]
• Example: An article that includes exercise guidelines from the American Heart Association, funded by a reputable nonprofit, is different than a fitness blog that recommends a specific protein powder and is sponsored by the company that makes it.

Is it relevant to the current need?

• Is the information relevant to your topic or assignment? 
• What is the purpose of the website or information? Entertainment? Education? Something else?
• Example: Relevancy is contextual! A peer-reviewed article on climate change would likely be more credible than a news source on hybrid cars for a Biology paper. But the news source could be more relevant for a marketing class if you're researching changes in market share.

Is it correct or well-supported?

• Does the source cite other sources or provide evidence?
• Can you verify the information using other sources?
• Example: A science article that references peer-reviewed studies is more accurate than a social media post making bold claims without any sources.

Use these videos and tutorials to learn more about deciding if a website is reliable and trustworthy:

Lateral Reading Tutorial

Lateral reading is a skill that will help you learn more about the context of a source, website, etc. This tutorial will help you use and practice this skill.