Detective Work

Ask questions

• Are the arguments and conclusions valid ie. well founded in logic or truth?
• Does the author back up any claims with reliable third-party support (eg. citations, references, research data and source material?
• Is there a balanced argument or is it one-sided?
• Do you agree with the conclusions it draws?
• Is the information accurate: or can you spot errors (eg. typographical errors or broken links).
• Is the information current - or might it be out of date or superceded by more recent publications? Is there a "last-updated" date?
• Is the coverage sufficient? Does it include all the aspects of the subject that you need in enough breadth or depth?
• Is the level of the site appropriate? Does it treat the subject at the level you require or is it an introductory guide that is too basic?
• Is it complete - is it available in full or has it been abridged?
• Is it a commentary or an original text? A primary or secondary source?
• Is it fact or opinion?
• Are there adverts everywhere, that might make you question the motives of the online publication?

Look for clues

Take time to gather evidence about the content. Look for:

• Bias and controversial statements that are unsubstantiated - use your own knowledge to question content and if it goes against what you know then look for evidence to back it up.
• Research evidence - to back up the arguments and assertions presented (eg. look for good quality research methods, research data and reviews of past literature in the field.).
• Proper references - especially in academic works - these should follow conventional citation practices and come from authoritative sources.
• Mistakes and inaccuracies: if you spot any of these it should be a cause for concern - an editor or reviewer should have picked these up so maybe it hasn't been properly checked and cannot be relied upon in other ways?
• Dates - for when it was written, published and last updated - how useful is it for your purposes?

Tips on checking the content

• Site maps, Content pages and About Us statements - they often tell you the scope and coverage of the work
• You will need to cite the title of the work and the date it was published in your references so make sure you can find these.
• If you are looking for current news headlines or the most recent version of an article it is important that you are seeing the most up-to-date information.
• If the site offers something for nothing, asks you to send money to claim a free gift or prize, or asks for your bank account details it's probably a scam!