From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Practical Guide, 3rd edition

EvAluATIng InTERnET SouRCES 145

evaluating Internet sources

Without question, the World Wide Web has revolutionized how research is

conducted. It has been a particular boon to experienced researchers who

have a clear sense of what they are looking for, giving them access to more

information more quickly than ever before. But the Internet is rife with

pit falls for inexperienced researchers. That is, sites that appear accurate

and reliable may prove not to be. The sources you find on the Internet out­

side your school library’s catalog pose problems because anyone can post

anything he or she wants. Unfortunately, there is no way to monitor the

accuracy of what is published on the Internet. Although Internet sources

can be useful, particularly because they are current, you must take steps to

evaluate them before using information from them.

■ evaluate the author of the Site

If an author’s name appears on a Web site, ask the following: Who is this

person? What credentials and professional affiliations qualify this person

to make a legitimate argument in the field being investigated?

A Practice Sequence: Evaluating library Sources

For this exercise, we would like you to choose a specific book or article

to examine in order to practice these strategies. If you are far along on

your own research, use a book or an article you have identified as

potentially useful.

■^1 Read the introductory sections. What issue is the author respond­

ing to? What is the writer’s purpose? To correct a misconception?

To fill a gap? To build on or extend the work of others? To address

a hypothesis?

■^2 Examine the table of contents and index. What key words or

phrases are related to your own research? Which topics does the

author focus on? Are you intending to give these topics similar

emphasis? (Will you give more or less emphasis?)

■^3 Check the notes and bibliographic references. Make a list of the

sources you think you want to look up for your own research. Do

certain sources seem more important than others?

■^4 Skim for the argument. What is the author’s focus? Is it relevant

to your own topic, issue, question, working thesis? What kinds

of evidence does the author use? Does the author use primary

or secondary sources? Popular or scholarly articles? Statistics?

Facts or opinions? Do you want to commit yourself to grappling

with the author’s argument?

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