LibGuides: Library Instruction: Getting to the Source

URL's

The URL (uniform resource locator) is a web site's address on the World Wide Web. Look at everything that appears before the first slash. This is the domain name. Most of the time, it will tell you what type of entity is responsible for the web site.

In the domain name:	Indicates:
.edu	educational or research institutions
.ac.	educational, research, sometimes government entities
.org	organizations of all types
.name	personal name
.com	corporations, businesses, entrepreneurs
.info	corporations, businesses, individuals
.coop	cooperative businesses
.aero	aviation community, including airport businesses
.museum	museums of all kinds
.mil	military agencies
.gov	federal government agencies
.us	local government agencies in the United States
.net	generally commercial internet service providers who sell space on their servers to others

As the internet grows, more categories are added to these top-level domain codes. New codes are listed in an FAQ on the InterNIC web site. Web sites originating outside the United States generally include acountry code in the domain name and will sometimes use other naming conventions.

Following the domain name will be information about the specific web site. The domain may be reliable, but the specific site may be unreliable. Once you know what or who is responsible for the web site, ask yourself:

What is the general reputation of this type of entity?
What is the reputation of this specific entity?

For example:

Educational institutions and government agencies are generally considered reliable sources of information. However, students may post personal web pages on the school's server that are not reliable sources of information.
Organizations are generally advocates for someone or something and may have a distinct point of view.
Commercial Internet Service Providers (ISP) sell space on their servers to anyone. They are not generally held accountable for the reliability of the information in web sites on their servers.

If you are not familiar with the specific entity responsible for the web site ask your instructor, another knowledgeable person, or ASK A LIBRARIAN for help.

Evaluating Web Sites: A Checklist

University of Maryland Check List
This checklist has been created to help evaluate web sites for Authority, Accuracy; Purpose, Content, Currency, Design, Organization, and Ease of Use. Use it to determine whether or not a particular site should be considered as a source of information for a paper or project.
This linked checklist will enable you to evaluate a web site, as well as learn why these different aspects are things that should be considered when looking to use a web site as a source.
Fill it out on the computer, print it, then turn it in to your instructor, or keep it for your own use. Alternately you may print a copy and write your answers in.

Types of Web Sites (VTU)

There are several types of web sites. Alexander and Tate in their book Web Wisdom identify the following main types.

Business or Marketing: emphasis is on the company and/or selling products
News: emphasis is on the daily or weekly news, current events, local, national, or international commentary, and opinion pieces.
Informational: emphasis is on providing high quality information on one or more topics
Advocacy: emphasis is on presenting a particular point of view or position on one or more topics
Personal: emphasis is on sharing an individual's personal interest, passion, or point of view

To these should be added:

Hoaxes: emphasis is on "fooling" as many people as possible. Some of these are worldwide practical jokes.

Understanding these types will help you understand the purpose of a web site and its potential for containing reliable information.