After reading about Schrock’s and Downes systems for evaluating web-based resources, I wanted to create a checklist that I normally use when researching or simply looking up information online. I will say that much of what Schrock and Downes said in their resources are what I use as well.

  1. Always double or triple check the information you find. Sometimes information found may not be as credible as you want. If you double or triple check the information and find that same information in multiple areas with different sources then the chances of it being more reliable is increased. If you cannot find the information anywhere else then it may not be useful source.
  2. Use your own insights and intelligence. Like Downes mentioned “you can depend on your own knowledge” (Downes. 2005. p. 2) and you should use it. Your experiences on the internet and understanding of different websites can be helpful. Make sure you use your brain. If you know it’s wrong, or it seems a little too good to be true, then it may be.
  3. Using trusted websites will always help. If you find information on government websites (.gov) or in peer reviewed articles then the information can be credible. If the site you are using is a publicly used site then the information may have faults.

There are more, but these are the 3 most used criteria by myself when I research on the web.

Thanks for reading.

References:

Downes, S. (2005, July 16).Principles for evaluating websites. [Web Log Post]. Retrieved from https://eddl.tru.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/EDDL5101_W3_Downes_2005.pdf

Schrock, K. (2018). Critical evaluation of information.Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything.Retrieved from: https://www.schrockguide.net/critical-evaluation.html