Web Credibility
Any good research is based on the quality of your sources, not the quantity. It is crucial to be critical when considering the value of content found online. Just because it's out there doesn't mean it's good.
- Excellent checklist for evaluating web sites, from the University of Southern Maine Libraries
- McDougal Littell's ClassZone provides this useful Web Research Guide, with a specific section on "Evaluating Web Sites"
- Five Criteria for Evaluating Web pages by Jim Kapoun, Cornell University Library.
- UC Berkley Library, step by step guide to evaluating web sites.
Citing Online Sources
Proper credit must be given for any sources utilized within your papers, and this includes sources you've located on the web or through online databases. It is important to always keep in mind that online sources must be equally cited in your bibliography or works cited page.
To start, you may be more familiar with citing print sources. Here are some guides to help refresh your memory:
- MLA Formatting and Style Guide prepared by the OWL at Purdue University: a very nice comprehensive site, with many examples of sample documented sources (see "All Sections in MLA Formatting and Style Guide" at the end of the page for examples)
And here are some handy guides specifically for managing electronic and "web citing":
- Bedford Martins Online! Guide, an excellent resource for help with citing materials found online
- How do I document sources from the web in my works-cited list?, compiled by the Modern Language Association, with examples
Last modified December 20, 2007 .
