Evaluating Resources

Of all the resources you encounter during the research process, web sites are the most important to evaluate. Why? Anyone can post anything to the web, and making a web page look professional is easy.

Unless you evaluate web sites, you could unwittingly cite a web site that presents a 7th grade school report, a commercial marketing ploy, or one of a growing number of "spoofs"--like the web site that lists the benefits of velcro farming or the one that warns against a new dangerous chemical: water.

Note: If you are not using web sites as resources for a research assignment, you might not need to respond to the prompts in this section. Uncertain? Ask your instructor for clarification.