Evaluation
After you have retrieved your results, you need to be able to identify the best information. Since so much research is now online, we must be able to determine if it is reliable. Even if you have used good search techniques and you have retrieved a manageable amount of results that does not guarantee that information in those web pages is reliable.
One would not use a book for research if you could not determine who its author is. It is not even tempting to do so because no one would publish a book without knowing the author. While most books go through many levels of review before being published, a web page can be published by anyone with a small amount of technical skill.
You, in a sense, have to serve as your own editor in order to use the internet as a tool for research. Search engines are not going to help you determine what web site contains the best information. That is up to you.
As you look through the web pages returned in your search, think about:
Who is the author? Why did they write what they did? When did they write it?
Once you have chosen to take a closer look at an information source you will want to evaluate it more closely. If you cannot determine the following, how will you use it as an information source? Remember, by using the information on a web site in a paper or presentation, you are essentially vouching for its accuracy.
Accuracy - Who wrote the page? Can they be contacted?
Authority - Is the person who wrote this qualified? What are their credentials?
Objectivity - Does the site have an agenda? Is it a commercial site? Be careful, many web sites try to appear objective, masking their agenda.
Currency - Can you determine when the page was last updated?
Coverage - Does the web site require special software? Is the information free?
