1. Locating
Reliable
Resources
Web Sites and Databases

2. Web sites
Pros Cons
 A lot of information  Anyone can publish a
available Web site
 Reliability of
 Quick and easily information is not
assessable guaranteed
 Provides great  No system that
general information catalogs and organizes
all resources
to begin a project
 Not always free

3. Use the C.A.R.S. checklist to
evaluate a Web site:
 Credibility
 Accuracy
 Reasonableness
 Support

4. Credibility
Goal: Questions:
Is there a publishing or
To find a source that 
sponsoring organization?
is created by a  Is the organization an
authority on the subject?
person or  Is the author listed?
organization who  Is the author an authority
on the subject?
knows the subject  Are there errors that
and who cares about indicate a lack of quality
control?
its quality

5. Accuracy
Goal: Questions:
To find a source with  Does the information on
the site agree with other
information that is sources?
current, complete,  Is the information
complete and not too
and correct vague?
 What is the date of
publication or
copyright?
 How recently has the
site been updated?

6. Reasonableness
Goal: Questions:
To find a source that  Does the author, host,
publisher, or sponsor
is truthful and have a bias?
unbiased  What is the motivation
or purpose for creating
the site? (To sell a
product? To advance a
viewpoint or belief? To
educate?)
 Does the author use a
slanted tone?

7. Support
Goal: Questions
To find a source with  Are the sources
verifiable sources of listed?
information  Can they be
checked?
 Is there a way to
contact the author
or organization?

8. Finding the Author
Information such as the author, host
organization, and publication date will often
be located at either the top or bottom of
the page.
Sometimes you may need to look on a
different page. Try clicking on “About” or
“Contact Us” for more information.

9. File Extensions
There are no universal rules for determining the
credibility of a specific domain. Some points to
remember:
 Anyone can buy a .com, .org, or .net domain
 Faculty and students can have .edu pages;
check to make sure the site is an official school
site
 The government or military approves .gov sites
but that doesn’t mean the information is true
 Blog sites give free voice to anyone

10. Tip
Create your bibliographic citation at the
same time you evaluate the site. Many of
the areas you will look at to evaluate are
also needed for the citation. And if you
can’t find the information for the citation,
the site might not meet standards.

11. Databases
Pros Cons
 Vetted resources  Toaccess Gale
 Wide range of articles Student Resource
from professional and
scholarly journals Center at home
 Various types of must have user
material are collected name and
in one location
password to log on
 Source citations are
provided (tecu60273)

12. Research
Databases
Located on the SHHS Library
Web Page

13. Locating
Reliable
Resources
Web Sites and Databases