Website Credibility Test

Website Credibility

There is an endless amount of information that can be found on the internet. The information found covers a vast array of topics and issues. The question is if it is credible or not. The info may end up being biased, misleading, false, or even a hoax. In most cases there is no definite way to prove that a website is completely credible.

While viewing the four sites given in class, I found many red flags which made me question the credibility of the website or it’s information. There were many criteria I used to wade my way through each website’s credibility. I recommend that students should use a combination of the following questions to reach an overall decision.

Who is the author? Find out who the author is and if they offer any examples of their other work. If they have any other websites or papers, examine the credibility or the other websites. I normally view anonymous papers with caution. Does the author give their contact information? If they do, is it associated with any reputable source?

Does the web address have a long url with many backslashes and extensions? Try trimming off the end parts of the address until it eventually leads you to an original source. Does the original source have credibility such as a government agency, education system, or peer reviewed site? Use Google link to find out who links to that site.

What message does the overall appearance of the website convey? It should have a professionally clean appearance. Does it look like it was designed by an educated individual or does it have a lot of flamboyant flashy text. Often, if the information is important, the author will value presenting it in professional manner.

 How many advertisements are there? What are they selling? Who are they marketing to?  If there are a lot of advertisements, the website may have agendas other than presenting factual scientific information. Which organizations sponsor the advertisements, are they bias?

Is the information factual? How do you know if it is valid, false, an opinion, or a hoax? There are a few ways to validate the information. I use Google to find out who else has linked the website to their own. For example while searching for information about the DHMO site I went to Google search and searched “link: http://www.dhmo.org/”. It brought me to other websites that link to that site. Many sites were supporting the ban of dhmo but I also found sties that reveal that it was a hoax. Also, take articles and use Google Scholar to see if they have been peer reviewed.

None of these single tips can be a sure fire way to decide. Using a combination of these will help the reader to decide whether or not to use the information.