Evaluating Online Sources

Tips + Tricks to Help Determine Credible Sources Online

Navigating a digital landscape comes with many challenges. Anyone can publish something to the internet! And while it may seem like a daunting task, hopefully this guide will help you feel more confident and comfortable determining the credibility of online sources. 

FACT, OPINION, AND PROPAGANDA

  • Facts can always be checked for accuracy.

    • Ex: Halloween is October 31st.

  • Opinions reflect an author’s emotions or bias.

    • Ex: Barbie was better than Oppenheimer.

  • Propaganda appeals to one’s emotions, not logic.

    • Ex: Some students have turned to a life of crime for not using Ms. Hernandez’s Evaluating Online Sources guide. Following this guide is the only way to stay safe and out of trouble!*

*This might sound like a silly example, but the general idea is that propaganda aims to influence or persuade you using a variety of tactics. In this case, the author was trying to appeal to the audience’s fear. Even if it WERE true, it would have been based on studies that proved there was a link between the two.

IDENTIFY LANGUAGE/TONE

  • Fact-based sources will likely have objective language, usually sticking the facts. Opinions and propaganda will contain emotional language with the goal of evoking an emotional response from its audience. 

EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE

  • Ask yourself: Is there enough evidence to back up their claims? Does it seem oversimplified? Are their arguments rooted in facts or opinion? 

CROSS-CHECK THE INFORMATION

  • Try to verify some of the information you’re reading through lateral reading or cross-referencing. Lateral reading is when you evaluate the credibility of a source by comparing it with other sources. For example, investigating what other trusted sources have to say about the source in question.

  • We do something similar, when we cross-reference information in an article. If the author lists specifics like facts, dates, etc., we should aim to corroborate its credibility. Ask yourself, can I find the same information if I search somewhere else? If the information is listed in more than one place, it becomes more credible. 

CHECK THE DATE

  • When was the source written? Is it out of date? Has new research on the topic since become available? 

  • While these are all important questions, please also keep in mind that if you’re examining historical events like WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, etc. one would want to focus more on locating primary or secondary sources (which can be VERY old). On the other hand, if you’re working on a science project, you’d want the information to be as up to date as possible. 

EXAMINE THEIR SOURCES

  • Always take a peep at the author’s work cited! This could potentially lead you to other credible sources to use for your own research.

DOMAIN EXTENSIONS

  • .com⁠ — a commercial website

  • .gov⁠ — a government owned/operated website

  • .org⁠ — a website associated with an organization

  • .edu⁠ — a website associated with an educational institution

  • .net⁠ — a website used by network providers

  • Trying to determine a website’s credibility can be confusing and overwhelming at times and it’s important to not attempt to evaluate an online source based only on its domain extension. There are other factors to consider, such as information on the website, language/tone, etc. 

  • That being said, there is no domain extension that is more credible than the other. It’s important to be aware that .com, .org., and .net domain extensions can be purchased by anyone! However, .edu is only reserved for educational institutions and .gov is only used by governmental institutions.

If you need help evaluating online sources, feel free to reach out to Ms. Hernandez or ask your teacher!