Molloy's Suffolk Center Library

The Internet is a powerful search tool to use for a variety of information needs, however it is important to understand that not all information on the Internet is reliable. Anyone can post messages or publish information on the Internet.  There are no established standards of quality, therefore you will have to determine if the website that you plan to use contains information that is accurate and unbiased. A good method to help you evaluate information on a particular website is called the CRAAP Test.  It helps you to work through a series of questions that address: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP).   You can also find more information about evaluating web sources from The CRAAP Test « Evaluating Sources Easily in 2023 as well as Critical Thinking About Sources.

Ask yourself the following questions about each website you're considering:

Currency: Timeliness of the information

• How recent is the information?
• Can you locate a date when the page(s) were written/created/updated?
• Are the links functional?
• In regards to your topic, is it current enough?

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (not too elementary or advanced)?
• How does it compare with other sources you have looked at?

Authority: The source of the information

• Can you determine who the author/creator is?
• Is there a way to contact them?
• What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience, etc.)?
• Is there evidence they're experts on the subject?
• Who is the publisher or sponsor of the site?

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of content

• Is it arranged logically and consistently?
• Has it been either peer reviewed or cited elsewhere?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source?
• Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar or other typographical errors?

Purpose / Point of View: The reason the information exists

• Based on the writing style, who is the intended audience? 
• What's the intent of the website (to persuade, to sell you something, etc.)?
• What is the domain (.edu, .org, .com, .gov etc.)? How might that influence the purpose/point of view?
• Are there ads on the website? How do they relate to the topic being covered (e.g., an ad for ammunition next to an article about firearms legislation)?
• Is the author presenting fact or opinion?
• Who might benefit from a reader believing this website?

By scoring each category on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = worst, 10=best possible) you can give each site a grade on a 50 point scale for how high-quality it is!

45 - 50 Excellent | 40 - 44 Good | 35 - 39 Average | 30 - 34 Borderline Acceptable | Below 30 - Unacceptable

            .edu     an educational institution

            .gov     a government site

            .org       typically a non-profit organization

            .com     a commercial site

When you scan a web page, can you tell who wrote the information?  Does the author have the appropriate background and credentials to write about a certain subject? You can use the “domain” of a URL to determine what type of site you are looking at. Usually sites sponsored by government agencies, universities and colleges, and museums or other non-profit organizations are considered preferable for research. However, some .org sites or .com sites may require more thorough evaluation before you can decide to use them for your research. Therefore, one of the best ways to evaluate the content published on a website is to check the author’s credentials to see if he or she has provided a list of references that validate their credibility to write accurately on a given topic.

Finding Credible Websites Using Advanced Google Search

For whatever reason, google has deliberately chosen to hide the advanced search link as well as its own help page that describes Advanced Search Tips.

• Go into Google.com and enter Google Advanced, or just go directly to Google Advanced.
• Enter your search terms. Note that you can search by exact phrase, all words or any words. You may even exclude words if you like.
  • For the purposes of this demonstration, enter the keywords: gun control
• In Search within a site or domain, limit it to an: .edu
• Scroll to the bottom and click on the plus sign next to: Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more. Narrow the date by choosing from the drop down: within the last year
• Click the Advanced Search button on the bottom right.
• Note that all of the results are from .edu's (educational institutions) and the content also has been updated within the last year.

• Google is a great teacher as well - note that it is clear how the search instructions were modified in the search box above. From here, modify the search to look for only government sites by simply changing .edu to .gov.
• Now the search box looks like this:

• Now, Google will only return government websites that contain the words gun control AND were updated within the last year.

As you modify anything in the advanced search screen, you can see how it is modified within the basic Google search box. After a while you'll become an expert on typing your advanced searches in right from the basic search box! Click search below, to give it a try!