KVHS Criteria for Evaluating Online Sources

●      Reliability is always the central concern when using any web based resource.

●      Websites exist for different purposes, including to provide news and information, to advocate specific causes, to sell products, and to express personal opinons.

●      Recognized news organizations (e.g., CNN or CBC), government organizations (e.g., Centers for Disease Control or the Department of National Defence), educational institutions (i.e., universities and university sponsored sites), and many professional organizations (e.g., the American Psychological Association) are usually quite reliable.

●      Organizations that take strong positions on certain issues (e.g., the National Rifle Association, Planned Parenthood, or religious groups) may provide good information but will usually have a recognizable bias on controversial issues. If you use these sites to research a controversial issue, like gun control, you would need to review both pro gun control and anti-gun control sites

●      Websites which exist to sell you something are usually unreliable soures of information.

●      Personal websites and blogs are usually unrealiable sources of information.

Ask yourself the following questions about every website!

1.   The Questions of Authorship

a) Who is the author of this material?

b) Is the author an authority on the subject?

c) If the author is anonymous? If so, why?

d) What is the author's background (professional, academic) and experience?

e) Does the author provide references or sources for the information?

2.   The Questions of Sponsorship

a) Who is sponsoring this website?

b) What is the reputation of the organization?

3.   The Questions of Balance, Bias, Independence, & Objectivity

a) Does the website present facts or opinions?

b) Does the website present more than one point of view?

c) What is the purpose of the website?

d) Is this a controversial issue? Is so, does it present a balance of opinions?

e) Is the information up to date?

f) Is the information drawn from reliable sources?

Always be a critical thinker when using the Internet!

Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's accurate!