The Basics

There are many kinds of Web sites that you might find during the course of a search. These sites are created by different people or organizations, who have different objectives. Evaluation of such sites is critical to the research process, as there are many suspect and spurious sites that appear legitimate. When used wisely, internet sources can provide valuable information.

A guide titled "Evaluating Web Resources" is available on the Information Services site under "Research Tools and Guides." Always double check your facts.

Examples:

Many of the Web sites you find through searching are created by individuals:
Dave's Bach Page

Many other Web sites are created by companies that are focused on making money:
www.mp3.com

Some sites represent the views of organizations:
www.riaa.org

Some sites are created by libraries and government agencies:
www.loc.gov

A great deal of web content won't be found by many search engines.