Introduction
Today, when people need to find an answer to a question or just read some new facts on a particular topic, they address the Internet often. In the era of digitalization, much information is available online, and attention is paid to evaluating the appropriateness of the source and the quality of the offered material.
Discussion
In 1998, Jim Kapoun introduced one of the first models for evaluating web sources based on a checklist with quality indicators, namely accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage (Elmwood, 2020). With time, new ideas emerge and disappear, but the essence remains the same – it is important to know how to evaluate Internet sources. One of the main issues in evaluating a source is its authority. If a person needs an academic resource, specific domains should be identified (.edu or.gov) to exclude commercial or unreliable places. It is also preferred when authors of web sources refer to other sources to prove their statements and help the reader continue the investigation. Another point in evaluation is its accuracy because the authors who are confident in and responsible for their material share their contact information and mention their qualifications. In addition, the Internet source should be current, no older than five years, but the choice depends on the objectivity of the search process. If primary sources are required, archives with old (original) sources are appropriate.
Conclusion
Finally, it is expected to obtain online information for free, and if some fees or other verification procedures are required, the initial purposes must be considered. If a chosen source meets all these criteria, I will know it is the one I should or can use. There is no need to hurry and make uncertain decisions because the Internet is available 24/7 with huge amounts of information on different topics.
Reference
Elmwood, V. (2020). The journalistic approach: Evaluating web sources in an age of mass disinformation. Communications in Information Literacy, 14(2), 269–286. Web.