Evaluating Website Sources

Websites as a SourceNameProfessorInstitutionCourseDate With the advent of the use of the internet as a primary source of information used for academic research and other types of research has had its share of advantages. For one it has reduced the cost of and increased the ease of access to information. This has, however, led to the problem of establishing the credibility of information before a researcher can use it. Skills to evaluate information found online are therefore important. One criterion is the evaluation of the author.

The credibility of a website can be evaluated by first taking note of who the author is. Different authors are a specialty in different subjects so one needs to know how qualified is the author to handle the topic at hand.

This can be achieved by assessing the authors credentials and qualifications. A study of how widely the authors articles are used by other researchers can help you establish this. Other times, the authors credentials may be found listed under the name and contact information. Always take a look at it. Another way to establish if an authors information can be trusted is through checking if the persons contact information is provided or that of the organization he works for. This means that the author is open to assessment about the quality and credibility of the information he or she has provide in the article. Further, assess the authors affiliations such as a university or a research institution.

Lastly, assess the type of data provided by the author. High quality data from reliable primary or secondary sources used by the author increases the credibility of the information provided in their article. A comprehensive assessment of this data will need to be done by the researcher in order to establish its quality.

Reference

• Clark, V.L. P., Creswell, J. W. (03/2014).
• Understanding Research: A Consumer’s Guide, 2nd Edition.
• Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323003060.

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