Watertown Public Schools

30 Common Street, Watertown MA 02472

Watertown Middle School
Learning Commons

You can't always trust what you find on the Internet. Use this checklist to judge for yourself whether the information you find on a website is good or bad.

 

 

Credibility

* Can you find the author or owner of the site?
* Is he or she an expert?

Accuracy

* Are there any spelling or grammar mistakes on the page?

Reliability

* Does the site contain any bias? Is the site trying to convince or persuade you about something?
* Does the information agree with the information you can find in a book or on another website?

Relevance

* Does the information on the website help you to answer your research question?

Date

* Is the information up to date?
* Does the site tell you whet it was last updated?

Source

* Is the information based on primary or secondary sources?
* Does the author cite his or her sources? Does it say where the author got his or her information?

Scope/Purpose

* Who is the intended audience?
* What is the range of information?
* Can you understand it? Is it too advanced or too simple?

Tips

* Check the header and footer information to determine the author
* In a URL a "tilde" (~) usually indicates a personal website
* In order to verify an author's credentials you may need to consult another source
* Check and compare the site to other sites dealing with similar information

 

Bibliography Help

Noodle Tools

BibMe

 

 

Watertown Middle School Learning Commons

68 Waverly Ave.
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472

Linda Picceri, Library Media/Instructional Technology Teacher

lpicceri@watertown.k12.ma.us