Practice evaluating a webpage

Many pages may seem reliable at first, but as you evaluate them you may find that they are less than credible sources. By looking for clues on different parts of a webpage, you can decide whether it's reliable. As you practice this skill, you'll be able to evaluate webpages more quickly and accurately.

Whenever you evaluate a website, ask yourself a few key questions:

• Who wrote the article?
• Are claims backed up with reliable sources?
• Does the website show bias?
• If they cite a scientific study, does the study sound credible?

To put our skills to the test, let's take a look at this article to evaluate its credibility:

edit hotspots

Unsupported Claims

There is no information online that can verify these claims about Columbus' "miraculous" soup. Although it's possible that this story is true, such a remarkable tale about a famous historical figure would likely appear on other websites. Whether or not it's true, this claim is unsupported.

Scientific Study

First, there is no information about who conducted this study. Second, the results of the study are presented more like an advertisement than a scientific conclusion. This is either a biased study conducted by the makers of K-Power Energy Bars or it's made up.

Author Credibility

There is no proof that Kay Powerton is a doctor or even a real person. It would be better if the site had information about her position or credentials. However, there's no way to verify that she's an actual doctor from this webpage.

Footnotes

The footnotes in this paragraph lead to sources that can verify claims. Footnotes help make it clear where the author found their information.

Bias

Not only does this paragraph give lopsided praise to K-Power Energy Bars, but the second sentence also suggests that other companies' energy bars are actually dangerous. This kind of bias can create a lot of misinformation and confusion.

Misinformation

Contrary to the article, vitamin K deficiency is rare among adults, according to many reliable websites. This article has stated something that is blatantly untrue.

There is clearly a problem with this article, as it seems that the author has fabricated information to get people to buy K-Power Energy Bars. While it's possible that these energy bars are a quality product, you probably shouldn't believe anything the article says about vitamin K or Caribbean Hibiscus root. Although some of the article is true and cites credible sources, it would be best to go directly to those sources to get more trustworthy information. Overall, this article is probably not objective or reliable.

Remember, just because a website looks scientific or historical doesn't mean it's credible. Unless the information can be verified, it's possible that it's all made up, so take your time whenever you evaluate online information.

Try this!

Go to the following two sites: Man on the Moon - A rethink and How Do We Know The Moon Landing Really Happened?

• What is each site's point of view?
• What can you tell about the authors? Which author likely has more expertise on the subject?
• Does each site use good evidence to support its claims?
• Which site do you think is more reliable?