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Health & Human Performance Research Guide: Websites

Evaluating Websites

When searching for resources on the Web think about CABLE!

C  Currency

A  Authority

B  Bias

L  Level

E  Explore

Currency - Knowing when the Website was created can help you judge the quality of the information found there.  Some information (such as historical facts) will not change, but other information (like stock quotes) changes daily.  
 
Authority - Knowing about the author of the information is useful.  Is the author an expert in his/her field?  Check the domain name, as it can offer identifying information about the site.
 
Bias - Think about the purpose of the site.  Is there a position/opinion presented?  Also, notice any sites that are linked to it.
 
Level - Even if a site has useful information, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is appropriate for college-level work.  Ask yourself the following questions:  Is the site popular or scholarly?  Is the information correct?  Is the research well-supported?
 
Explore - It is important to explore further!  Did you verify the information in at least one additional source?  Did you investigate the author or publisher of the site?  Did you find reviews, criticism, or rankings of the Websites?

Subject Guide

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