Unit 4: Special Considerations for Evaluating Online Sources
Until this point, we have focused on appraising sources using the five criteria of the CRAAP evaluation method: credibility, relevance, authorship, accuracy, and purpose. Let's take a quick look at two similar evaluation models – APPEAL and RADAR – and
review some additional features that can help us better assess the quality of online resources.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- consider the author or sponsor, agenda, and visual cues when evaluating an online source;
- identify how to gather information about who is behind the information or sponsoring the website;
- explain how to find information about social, political, or cultural agendas in the website you are evaluating; and
- identify visual cues that may indicate whether or not a website is credible.
4.1: Additional Evaluation Methods
The APPEAL and RADAR models offer another lens or framework scholars use to evaluate websites. However, they use nearly identical concepts and methods to review website content as the CRAAP test.
Watch this video for an overview of the APPEAL model, which is an acronym for author, purpose, publisher, evidence, audience, and latest. This model also focuses on the person or organization that has published the material.
Watch this video, which explains the RADAR method. RADAR is an acronym for rational, authority, date, accuracy, and relevance.
4.2: Author and Sponsoring Organization
As we noted earlier, it is essential to verify an author's credibility for all types of source materials, including websites.
Let's look at some additional factors you should consider when reviewing a website. Note that you may come across blogs or other sites where you cannot find any information about the author or sponsoring organization. Since you cannot verify the source's credibility, you should not use the information in any authoritative way in your research. However, a lack of documentary evidence should not prevent you from criticizing the information you find on the website. Even so, the site's lack of supporting material should prevent you from using the site's information to support your claims or provide context for your research. This applies to any gaps or lack of supporting documentation you discover in the materials you find.
Watch this video, which focuses on how to examine the authorship of a website and the information it contains.
When evaluating a research paper or scientific journal, be sure to examine the index, footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography. Look at the publication information in the list of references and sources. Do you see university presses? Do you see recent publications? Look at the author's credentials on their biography page. Are they a member of a political organization, think-tank, or another organization that expresses a social or political agenda?
Watch this video for an overview of how to analyze the credibility of a website and its sponsoring organization.
An important clue to the origin of the work lies in the site's URL or domain name. The URL is a good indication of who has published the material. If it is linked to a university, research institute, or governmental association – with the URL extensions .edu, .org, or .gov. – you may be on the right track. Note that you still need to review the information you find on these sites.
Watch this video gives a quick intro to the information you can learn from the URL.
4.3: Political, Social, or Cultural Agenda
Most organizations articulate their agenda in the about link on their website. Do they promote a certain ideology or support a particular political party, leader, or candidate? Is their mission to influence public policy? Who founded the organization? Who are their partners? You may need to research these items to obtain a full picture of the organization's worldview, since these factors may influence the content of the articles on their website.
For example, in the about section of the Centre for Social Justice's website, the organization claims it seeks to "narrow the gap between rich and poor, challenge the corporate domination of Canadian politics, and press for policy changes that promote economic and social justice".
The information you find on its website, such as statistical interpretations, interviews, and calls to action, will likely promote the sponsoring organization's mission. You might take a look at the Centre's list of partners (other social justice organizations, faith groups, unions, and universities) to gain additional context when you analyze their site.
Websites lose credibility when their sponsors intentionally misrepresent the facts or omit key information. Look for these if you are familiar with the topic. You may have to read the reports and research the experts cited to judge whether the source is credible and whether you should cite it yourself. You are searching for examples that point to their ethos.
Ideology and biases may influence whether an organization's statements and conclusions are credible or objective.
For example, when the U.S. Department of Labor releases a report that shows average wages have risen at the same rate as inflation during the past year, a pro-business organization may argue the data shows there is no need to increase the minimum wage. But an economic justice organization may say that a wage increase is warranted because the average rise in wages disproportionately helped the rich. Both interpretations are reasonable. However, both display some bias based on the writer's worldview. You should take that into account during your review.
Watch this video to explore some of the ways you can evaluate the agenda of a website.
4.4: Appearance
Take a look at the appearance of a potential website source. Does it look professional and well-curated? While this type of analysis is a judgment call we make based on our experience visiting other sites, you can sometimes use appearance to get a feel for the site's authenticity. Does the site use proper grammar and spelling, and do its claims seem reasonable?
Remember our discussion of purpose from earlier. Are there many advertisements that may indicate the purpose of the website is to sell you a product, membership, magazine subscription, or conference attendance? Is the journal written for scholars, or does it seem to be designed to attract viewers to earn more advertising dollars?
Watch this short video for tips on how to review the content of a website.
Watch this video, which advises you to see whether the links on the site work. This may indicate whether the information is kept up-to-date and current. The content of the links can also give you an idea of the quality of the author's sources.