When evaluating websites and other online resources for your assignments, remember to use the 5 Ws to determine if they are appropriate for college-level research.
Who?
- Who is the author of this page?
- Are the author's qualifications clearly stated?
- Is the author separate from the "webmaster"?
- Can the author be contacted for clarification?
What?
- What is the purpose of this site?
- What topics are covered?
- What goals/objectives does this resource meet?
- What opinions are expressed?
- What is the context in which the information is provided?
When?
- When was this site created?
- When was it last updated?
- Is the timeliness of this source appropriate for my research? For health-related research, it's generally recommended to find sources that are no more than 5 years old.
Where?
- Where did the writers obtain their information? Are citations included?
- What institution published this? Are they reputable?
- Where can I verify this information?
Why?
- Why is this information useful?
- Why is this page better than other pages on this topic?
