Locating and Evaluating Web Sites

How do I find research material on the World Wide Web?

The World Wide Web provides unprecedented access to a plethora of information, and the various search engines used to retrieve Web sites have various ways of determining what is considered relevant. In order to get comprehensive coverage it is wise to use more than one search engine. Search Engine Guide provides search engine subject listings.

How do I evaluate the information I find on the Web to know if I can trust it?

Because there is no “gatekeeper” on the World Wide Web, rich sources of scholarly research information and absolute junk can both be included in search results. The Search the Web & Evaluate Web Resources guide, created by UMUC Library and Information Services, is a useful source to consult in evaluating Web sites. It provides a checklist of evaluation criteria to consider in determining the reliability and credibility of a Web site. Using it is highly recommended!

What is GoogleScholar and how do I use it?

Currently in beta test, GoogleScholar searches the free Web for scholarly resources. UMUC has linked those articles available via the free Web to Google Scholar results. Note however, that this represents a small portion of the full-text articles available via UMUC database subscriptions. For assistance with finding full-text articles linked from Google Scholar to UMUC, see the Tips for Searching Google Scholar via UMUC guide.

A Word About Wikipedia

It is important to keep the following facts in mind when reading Wikipedia entries:

  1. Anyone can submit entries. Unlike traditional encyclopedias, Wikipedia authors are not required to have any expertise in the subject they are writing about. Anyone, regardless of his or her knowledge of a topic, and regardless of any agenda he or she might have, can write for the site. Authors are rarely identified, and those who are have in some cases lied about their credentials.

  2. Anyone can edit entries. Once created, entries can be changed by anyone. Those responsible for changes to entries are generally not identified in a way that would allow you to find out more about them.

  3. Errors in entries may not be corrected. Although errors in entries are often found and corrected by other Wikipedia users, entries are not subject to a formal fact-checking process like that used for traditional encyclopedias. Many entries are never subject to any fact-checking at all.

For these reasons, many instructors prohibit students from using Wikipedia in researching topics for their classes.

For more information about Wikipedia's editorial policies, see their "Who Writes Wikipedia" page. A useful summary of Wikipedia's strengths and weaknesses as a research tool can be found on their "Researching With Wikipedia" page.

Wikipedia can be useful when researching topics related to technology, pop culture, or other areas that may not be covered by traditional encyclopedias. However, any information found in Wikipedia should always be checked against other sources (where possible, scholarly sources) to confirm its authenticity. NetLibrary provides access to many useful reference books, including subject encyclopedias, that provide reliable background information.

Please view this tutorial on evaluating Web sites.