Evaluating Websites & Internet Sources: Web site examples

The following links offer some ways to control or manage your Google searches.

Take a look at the following websites and carefully decide if they are usable for research.  Remember...looks can be deceiving.  Try using the Criteria for Evaluating Websites if you need help. Also look at information provided in other boxes to understand why website evaluation is important:

• Dihydrogen Monoxide Research
• Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

Anyone can produce a website for any purpose. Establishing credibility on the Internet requires careful attention and use of verification techniques to ensure trust in the information you find there.

The following are some examples of websites that could be considered questionable, depending on your point of view.  They may have bias. While one can use biased websites to illustrate different sides of a debate, it is important to understand specifically how a source might be biased, and in what ways, before you use it for any kind of research.

The following sites are about birth control:

• NARAL Pro-Choice America
• National Right to Life

The following sites are about vaccinations:

• Vaccinate Your Family
• Vactruth.com

The following sites are organizations for pediatricians:

• American Academy of Pediatricians
• American College of Pediatricians