In this section, you will learn about using resources outside of the library. Learning about credible external sources will support you in this course. Identifying and using credible external resources is an important skill that can be developed overtime and impact your personal and professional life as well.

While the library contains many resources, including peer reviewed articles, you may not always find the information you're looking for within the library. The library is connected to many databases, but even those may be limited depending on your topic and research needs.

In this section, we will focus on credible sources outside the library that exist on the Internet. The information/skills described here can easily be applied to non-digital resources. Please reach out to a librarian to learn more.

Credibility and Evaluative Criteria

The Internet contains many websites and other resources that can be harnessed to meet your research needs. How do we identify which sources are credible and which are lacking in value? The librarians recommend using specific criteria to determine what the source brings to your research journey. Using criteria allows a structured way to examine the information in front of you, and reinforces your decision-making with critical assessment.

While evaluation can be rigorous and complex, it can also be straightforward and relatively simple. Generally, credibility can be summarized as reduced/acknowledged bias, evidence of authorial expertise or experience, and information that is supported with data or background research. There is no "perfect" source, though. Every piece of information will have its strengths and weaknesses.

LWTech's Web Evaluation Matrix

Our Web Evaluation Matrix is a great tool to use to explore credibility in the digital sources you encounter on the Internet through non-Library databases, Google searches, or other starting points. By using it, you will ask yourself the following about each source before you choose it for your research. Note: you can change the words "site" and "page" to "article" or another resource type as needed.

Accuracy: What is the purpose of the site and why was it produced?
Authority: Who published the site and are they the experts?
Objectivity: What goal or objective does the page meet and how detailed is the info?
Currency: When was the site produced or updated? Is information current?
Coverage: Is the information cited correctly and links and pictures complement/balance with the text? Is the information free and easy to locate on the site?

Other Evaluation Tools

The Web Evaluation Matrix tool described above is one of countless that exist on the web, created by librarians and other educators for teaching critical assessment of external resources. Just because we recommend it does not mean it will resonate with you for every source out there. The librarians developed a separate Video Evaluation Matrix specifically for online videos, now that we are seeing more professionals and scholars using video platforms like YouTube to communicate their ideas and research.

You can find other information and website evaluation tools on the library's Research Tools & Resources page. You might also find the free book Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers to be useful. Finally, if you are looking for credible news sources, consider websites like Snopes, which are intentional about debunking "fake news" and other non-credible news stories/reporting.

Further Learning

If you'd like a deeper dive, consider the following short video tutorials: