ENGL 101: Carver, K. (Fall 2024): Websites

Finding Authoritative, Reliable Websites

It is relatively easy to find information on the web about controversial topics. However, not all of it is trustworthy (reliable). 

Things to Ask Yourself When Evaluating a Website

• Is the author of the website clearly identified (an author can be an organization)? If the author is not clearly identified, it MAY because he or she has something to hide.
• Is there an "About" link clearly describing the author's credentials and purpose for creating the website?
• What is the domain (.com; .org; .gov; .edu)? Generally, .com sites are commercial sites dedicated in some way to making money. Since only governments and schools can have .gov and .edu domains, you know these are the official sites of the sponsoring institution, such as http://www.yale.edu versus http://www.yale.com. The .org domain is trickier. Generally non-profit organizations use .org, such as The American Heart Association, but anyone can use the .org domain, so use care.
• Is the language professional and neutral? Or, is there biased or accusational language? Is the author's or organization's point of view obvious? Is it clear that this is a conservative, progressive, liberal, etc. site?
• Does the author use poor spelling and grammar? Are there a lot of exclamation points? These are rarely present in reliable and authoritative websites.

Evaluating Sources

Not all resources are created equal! There are a number of criteria to consider when determining whether or not a source is reliable (able to be trusted) and appropriate for your academic work.

Authorship

• Who is the author?
• What makes the author an expert in the field he or she is writing about? What are his or her qualifications? Does he or she have education or work experience in the field? Has he or she published anything else about the subject? (HINT: Google the name of the author to find this information).
• If there isn't an author listed, is the information authored by a government, corporate, or non-profit agency?  Is the agency or organization recognized in the field in which you are studying, and is it suitable to address your topic?

Point of View or Bias

• Does the source promote one point of view or one agenda?
• Is the information provided as fact or opinion?
• If the information is found online, does the Web site have advertisements? If so, are the ads part of or separate from the rest of the site?

Currency

• Does your topic require current information?
• Does the source include a date of publication or a "last updated" date?

References to Other Sources

• Does the source include a bibliography or links to other web sites?
• What types of sources are cited (primary/secondary, popular/scholarly, current/historical, etc.)

Relevance to Topic and Assignment

• Is the information you found related to and useful for your topic and assignment?
• Is the source the appropriate type for your needs?  For example, do you need a book or a scholarly journal article? Do you need primary or secondary sources of information?
• Is the information too broad or too specific?

Image source:  "Evaluation" by NY is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Using Wikipedia

Most of us have used Wikipedia. Wikipedia is edited by anyone who has a computer with a connection. Some editors are knowledgeable and responsible and produce high quality Wikipedia content. Some authors are neither, and do not.

Wikipedia and "Authority"

So why do many instructors forbid the use of ANY Wikipedia articles (even the good ones)?  It is because the articles have low "authority"--meaning we can't necessarily tell how knowledgeable and responsible the author is. Authority is an important idea in the academic world, so the fact that many of Wikipedia's authors and editors are anonymous makes it problematic.

Also, scholars, like you, never rely on one source, or one type of source to inform and support their writing. Your instructors want you to discover and use a wider world of information. ANYONE can access Wikipedia... as a developing scholar, you can do better than that.

Tip for using Wikipedia in a Smart Way

You can still use Wikipedia to learn the basics about a topic. There you will find valuable background information and new vocabulary/search terms. Also, look at the Wikipedia article's citations (the best articles have them) in order to get to find the authoritative information that the Wikipedia editor(s) used themselves.

Image source: "Wikipedia logo" by Wikimedia is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Try going straight to some of the organizations and government agencies that track issues around the use of cell lines and other topics within biomedical research.