Final answer:
To evaluate unpublished web sources, assess the authorship, trustworthiness, publisher or sponsor, timeliness, and source verification. These criteria help determine the credibility and reliability of the information for research purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When evaluating unpublished web sources, it's important to use critical skills to assess the reliability and quality of the information provided. Here are five commonly used criteria for evaluation:
- Authorship: Understanding who the author is, their credentials, affiliations, and whether they have provided current contact information helps in determining the credibility of the content.
- Trustworthiness: Checking if the facts and figures are supported by sources, identifying any potential biases, and assessing whether the content is fair and balanced or influenced by advertising.
- Publisher or Sponsor: Identifying the publisher, sponsor, or source of the web page can provide insights into the potential biases and the overall reliability of the information.
- Timeliness: Ensuring that the information is up-to-date, especially if the topic requires current data, and verifying that the links within the source are still current.
- Source Verification: Fact-checking to corroborate information by checking other sources for similar data and determining if the source conforms to the narrative established by acknowledged scholars or is listed as a resource by school libraries.
Each of these criteria will contribute to a nuanced evaluation of web sources, helping you decide whether the content is useful and reliable for your research needs.