PLUG-INs A Student’s Guide to Information Literacy

QUESTIONS ABOUT WEBSITES

But, how do you know if the

information is good, accurate and reliable ?

Websites from the Internet can be fast and easy

to use.

How do you know if the information

is rubbish?

Here are some questions at ask

yourself.

So, you must be careful and think critically

about the websites you find.

Anybody can create a website

and post any information he or

she chooses.

It might be a person,

a company or an organization.

First, who runs or owns the site ?

The name of an organization

might be misleading.

Maybe it looks like an educational site. But, really it is an

online store.

But when you read, the writers say the Earth is

flat.

Maybe this site is a joke.

Or, maybe it is written by

unscientific, crazy people.

For example, you find a site called “The Truth About the

Earth” run by “Scientists for Earth

Study.”

Look for “About Us”

or “About this site.”

Next, ask yourself, who pays for the

site?

It may be a company or

business, a college or a government

organization.

Look at the URL suffix. This can

tell you something about who runs and pays for a

site.

.com means the

site is commercial or

owned by a company.

.edu means that site

is run by an educational institution.

.org means the site

is run by an organization,

sometimes non-profit but not

always.

.gov means the

site is run by the

government

.netmeans the site

is part of a commercial

network.

.aemeans the site

is from the UAE.

There are many 2-letter country codes. They are called ccTLD.

You can know what country a website is from.

Is it only to give

information or to sell

something ?

Is the site “honest” about the purpose or

does it try to trick you ?

Next ask yourself,

what is the purpose

of the site ?

Are there advertisements or sponsored links ?

Is it clear what is an

advertisement and what is

content?

Advertisements are not always bad. Somebody has to pay for a website

even if the purpose is educational.

Are the links online stores?

Are there links to other sites?

Are the links to references,

citations or sources of the information ? This is a feature of

a good site.

Is it based on scientific research?

Is it from a university or government

agency?

Where does the info come

from ?

Or, is the info based on

personal opinion only ?

Are the authors experts in the

subject or people with no special

training or education?

Look to see if the authors have educational degrees, professional memberships

and certifications.

Does the language

seem emotional, not

logical ?

Is the information biased or

prejudiced ?

Are there unbelievable

claims ?Is there only 1

side of the story ?

Are there links, references or

citations for facts and figures ?

Or, did the author invent them ?

Is the information reviewed by

experts before posting ?

Can you check the

information ?

What is the date of the page ?

How often is the page updated?

How current or new is the info ?

If you see no date on the page,

maybe the page is not a good one.

Lastly, does the site collect info

about the users ? What is their

“Privacy Policy ?”

Do you need to register or sign up to see information ?

What will they do with your personal

information ? Will they sell it to marketers ?

But, it is important to take time to

do this.

There are so many questions

to ask yourself about websites.

Otherwise, you may waste your

time if information from a website is

rubbish.

Ask your teacher or your friendly librarian if you have any

questions.

I hope this helps you understand

how to tell a good website from a bad website.

HAPPY READING

!

Thank you for listening.