Evaluating Information ResourcesOnce you've found a source, you have to determine if it will provide you with the type of information that is needed. You should also investigate the ABCs of that source: Authority, Bias, and Currency.
The ABC test is a quick way to help you determine whether or not a source is credible, or reliable. Of course there may be many more questions you could ask yourself about a source, but the ABC test gives you a great place to start.
Learn about lateral reading, fact-checking, and more on our Evaluating Information guide.
Use the ABC test to help you determine the credibility of a website.
Who is the author, publisher, source, or sponsor?
What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
MOST IMPORTANT: Lateral Reading
From Univ of Louisville Libraries Citizen Literacy Toolkit
What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, to teach, to sell, to entertain?
Do the authors or sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are multiple perspectives included?
What bias do you bring to the topic? Are you only looking for sources that confirm your current beliefs?
"The first step in countering confirmation bias is to recognize it in ourselves. Then we can guard against it by getting our news from a wide range of credible sources, reading opinion columns from a variety of viewpoints, and including these varied perspectives in our social media posts."
From the News Literacy Project - "Don't Let Confirmation Bias Narrow Your Perspective."
When was the information published or posted?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Does your topic require current or historical information?
Are the links functional? Do they take you to updated information sources?
Restricting your Internet search to certain domains (.edu, .gov, .org) can help you find more focused results.
Here are a couple of examples:
If the full text of a book is not available online, order it through interlibrary loan. This is a free service provided by PCC Library. Just complete the interlibrary loan form.
If the full text of an article is not available online, order the article through interlibrary loan. DO NOT PAY for it online! In most cases, ordering the article through this service is free! Just complete PCC Library's interlibrary loan form.
When searching for country information on the Internet you might also want to try searching for government websites, regional versions of search engines, and websites with country specific domain extensions.
Search for Indian websites that mention women and stereotypes:
Search for Samoan websites regarding gender and human rights: