Web Resources | Solano Community College Library

Use the navigation bar above to find freely accessible resources from the Internet. If you're having trouble finding information you need or you are unsure about the reliability of information you're finding on the Internet, please contact one of your librarians for help.

Keep In Mind...

As you browse websites, you need to keep in mind that much of what you find may not be authoritative. Keep an eye out for the following traits:

Authority & Authorship

Who Wrote It? Or you could ask: what about the author of this website or article makes them reliable or an authority? Is the author or organization responsible for the document clearly stated? What credentials does he/she (or the organization) have? Is it possible that this person or group has a "hidden agenda"?

Currency

When Was It Written? Is the publication date clear? Both older and newer information sources can be useful, depending on your topic. Is there more up-to-date information that contradicts an older website or article you've found? Or could you balance out the current information you've found with some older, "background" resources?

Purpose

Why Was It Written? The author's intent or motives behind an article or webpage is important to consider. Is the webpage or article persuasive or informational or somewhere inbetween? Are other sides of a "story" given, or is the source one-sided? Be as critical in your evaluations of the resources that support your research as you would be with those that don't.

Support

What Evidence Does the Author Have? Check out the author's sources, references, or "Works Cited" page. What kinds of sources (if any) do you see? If you can't see where the author got their "information" from, watch out. And just because references are listed doesn't mean they are actually good - make sure the "facts" are backed up by other reliable sources!

"Reality Check"^**

Is It Too Good (or Bad) to Be True? Can you find support for the author's (or organization's) statements or are they "they only one who has the facts"? If you are unable to check their facts, be cautious using that source. (See "Support" above.) Generally, an extreme statement without supporting evidence or citations - regardless of how well it supports your argument - is not reliable.

Additional Reading

» "Evaluating Internet Research Sources" (Robert Harris, 2007)
» "Evaluating WWW Sites: Evaluating Information -- Applying the CRAAP Test" (Meriam Library, CSU Chico)

^{** From: Robert Harris, 2007}

Please note: the links on these pages are external and will open in a new window. To return to the SCC library website, simply close the window of any links you click on.