Learning in a digital age/LiDA101/Select open resources/Evaluate and select resources

There is a great deal of information available on the Internet. Some of it is very credible and useful. However, there is a lot of misinformation and poorly researched information online too. As you become more skilled at academic online searching and locating materials you will become quicker at determining what information is useful and credible. In the meantime, consider the following frameworks.

The CARS Checklist for Online Source Evaluation
The CARS Checklist for Online Source Evaluation (Harris 2010 ) is an appropriate means of determining what you need to look for when assessing the credibility of the information coming up in your online searches.


 * (Source: Harris, Robert 2010, ‘Evaluating Internet Research Sources’.VirtualSalt. Accessed 17 October 2001

Note that when searching online, you may discover alternate frameworks for evaluating the quality of online information, for example this summary published by the University of Wollongong using the CRAAP framework (Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose). After evaluating the source, feel free to use a framework that works for you.