ENG 101: English as a Second Language for International Students: Evaluating Sources

Consider the 5 "Ws" when evaluating websites:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

What is your thinking about this source?

Is this useful to you?

Is it a high-quality source you would use in a paper or presentation?

Who wrote this source? 

• What can you find about about the author of this source?
• What is their background or expertise in this area?

What is the content of the source?

• Is the content relevant or useful to you?
• Is the content credible? Does it support what you found in other sources?
• What does the content look like?
  • Does it have advertisements?
  • Does it look like a professional source?
• Does it include a bibliography or citations to help you track down where the author found their information?

When was the source published?

• Is there a date the source was:
  • created?
  • last updated?
  • copyright date?

Where was the source published? 

• What type of source is it? Is it a:
  • Newspaper/magazine article?
  • Scholarly journal article?
  • Personal blog?
  • Government document?
  • Non-profit organization?
• What is the quality of that type of source? 
• Is the source edited or reviewed before being published online?

Why was the source published?

• What is its purpose?
  • To inform?
  • To sell something?
  • To persuade the reader of a point of view? 
• Does the source have a bias or argue for a particular point-of-view?