Castleton State College Home Page > Library Homepage
178 Alumni Drive, Castleton, VT 05735 | Library phone: 802-468-1256

• Hours
• Ask a Librarian
• Circulation
• Media Services
• Blackboard
• Interlibrary Loan
• About the Library
• Information Literacy
  Graduation Standard

The Internet is an amazingly powerful research tool.  It allows students to access files on computers all over the world.  However, it is crucial that we remember that anyone can put anything on the internet, and make it look good.  The old adage about not believing everything in print takes on deeper meaning as we surf the world of online information.  In evaluating Internet sites you should use the same criteria you would use in evaluating a printed resource:

Currentness:  Students sometimes assume that if it's on the Internet, it must be up-to-date.  Not necessarily. Good Internet sources date their material, and tell you when specific information was last updated.  If you can't find a date, you probably shouldn't use the site as a source.

Authority:  Who wrote the material?  Note that an author and a webmaster are not necessarily the same person.  Find the name of the author of the material you are using.  Who is this person?  Are credentials listed?   (Remember that anyone can publish anything on the Internet.)  It's important to check on the background of this person and on the ways he/she is qualified to write on this subject.  Ways to check:

• Look in various Who's Who directories.
• Has this person written books on this or other subjects? Check online library catalogs, Books in Print, an online book dealer, etc.
• Has this person published articles in known periodicals?  Check one of the library's periodical indexes (e.g., Expanded Academic Index).

Objectivity:  Use the same general standards for Internet material that you would for any other medium.  Who published this material, and why?  What is their point of view?  Is it rational, clear, and well-documented?  Although never a certain indicator, the domain designation at the end of the Internet address can sometimes help:

.com indicates a commercial enterprise, which is more likely to be advertising a product or service.  The objectivity of .com sites should always be questioned.
.org indicates a nonprofit organization.  Although not a commercial enterprise, such organizations usually have a cause, and a specific point of view.
.gov indicates a government agency.
.edu indicates an educational institution.
.net indicates a network operation and information center.
.mil indicates the military

• Internet Detective  Easy tutorial that covers all the basics. 
• Evaluating Library and Internet Information 
• Evaluating Sites on the Internet 

back to top of page

Citation formats for electronic resources are included in style guides like these, available in the reference section of the library:

• The Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers, 8th ed., 2007 (REF 808.042 H127s 2007)
• Cite Right--A Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More (REF 808.027 L669c)

These resources could also help:

• The Columbia Guide to Online Style (REF 808.027 W152c). Some examples from The Columbia Guide to Online Style are available online.
• Excerpts from the APA Style Guide to Electronic References are available online.
• How do I document sources from the Web in my works-cited list? is on the Modern Language Association website.

Most style manuals recommend including at least the following information about an Internet source. If in doubt, include more rather than less.

• author/editor
• date material was written
• type of medium
• producer of material (if different from author)
• full internet address
• access date

Online subscription databases usually give you the information you need to cite a full-text article, either at the top or at the bottom of the page, and sometimes offer an option of preparing the citation in MLA or APA formats. Make sure to note the date you accessed the article, the name of the database you used to find the article, and, if you are using MLA style, the URL of the database (for example: http://web.ebscohost.com).

In The Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers, see the section on "Sources from library subscription services" for the style you are using.

back to top of page