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MGT 210: Business Writing: Evaluating Web Sources

Better Google Searching

1) Use keywords specific to your subject

2) Do not use common words like what, when, where or how - Google ignores these words

3) Use quotation marks around phrases (or dashes between words) to search for words in an exact order

4) Add keywords to narrow your search

5) Use Advanced Search to specify languages, eliminate related words and specify a type of website

Get More Out of Google - Advanced tips on Google searching

Should I Use That Online Source?

Here are some other criteria to consider when deciding to use a website or document you find online.  Ask these questions about your online source.

Is it relevant or important to the purpose of your paper? - Even if a source is obviously biased or promotes a singular point of view, it may be important to your research.  If you are profiling the positions of the Republican and Democratic parties, using their websites as a source of information is important even though each party has a strong point of view.  You need to go to their source material to find each party's stance on issues of the day.

Is it from a government or educational source?  In business and academics, government and educational sources are considered more authoritative than commercial sites providing numbers or commentary.

If it is from a non-profit organization, what is the reputation and stability of the organization?  Is there a bias for an organization?

Does the document have an identified author?   When using the web you want to know who is writing the information you will use in your paper. Is the author an expert in the field?  Can you find other articles or books written by the author?

How recently was the site or particular web page last updated?  Use sites and web pages that have been recently updated.  Information from sites not updated frequently may be out of date.

Does a website provide documentation for the sources of their information?  Most sites do not provide a source or bibliography.  You need to know the source of the information presented in a web document or website before using it.

Introduction to the ABC's

This guide will walk you through the "ABC's of Credibility". As you pursue academic research and evaluate various information sources, it's critical to assess their credibility and trustworthiness. The "ABC's of Credibility" provide a useful framework to guide you in this process.


 

A - Authority

  • Author expertise and qualifications - What are the author's credentials and background in this subject area? Are they affiliated with reputable institutions or organizations? Do they have appropriate education, training, and experience to be knowledgeable on this topic?
  • Type of publication - Is the source a book, academic journal, magazine, newspaper, website, blog? Is it a peer-reviewed scholarly publication? Generally, academic and professional sources are seen as more credible than popular media.
  • Date of publication - Is the source up-to-date for the topic? When was it last updated? How recently was it published?
  • Questioning Authority- Has the authority been questioned? Is this an isolated instance or a well-reasoned, tried and tested argument? Have people disagreed with it, and if so, what merits do their disagreements bear?

B - Biases

  • Publisher reputation - For books/articles, what is the reputation of the publisher? Is it an established, reputable academic press or organization?
  • Site sponsorship - For websites, who is responsible for the site? Is it tied to respected institutions, organizations, companies, or individuals? What might their motivations be for publishing this content?
  • Objectivity - Does the source seem objective and unbiased? Or does it seem driven by a particular agenda or point of view?

C - Craftsmanship

  • Writing quality - Is it clear, accurate, precise, and error-free? Or is the writing poor in quality?
  • Logic and reasoning - Does the author make logical arguments and connections? Is their reasoning biased or emotionally driven?
  • Evidence and citations - Does the author provide citations and references to credible sources? Is the information well-supported by evidence?

Types of Websites

Companies, government agencies, individuals, etc. all have web-sites accessible through the internet.  Researching for college and in business requires that you know who creates the information you find online.  

One way to determine where information on a website comes from is the top-level domain of the site. Here is a list of the most common top-level domains:

.gov - Government agency (FBI, Census Bureau, Small Business Administration, etc.)

.edu - Educational institution (school, university, school district)

.org - Non-profit organization (Rock the Vote, Catholic Charities, Goodwill, etc.)

.mil - Military

.com - commerical business (Ford, Under Armour, Microsoft, etc.)

Search Engines

Search engines allow you to search the world wide web more efficiently.  Using more than one search engine will give you varried results.  You may find something different on your topic depending on the search engine you use.  Below you'll find a list of the most popular search engines.