Hakia, a semantic search engine has put out a call for librarians to help unlock credible websites. Read more about the announcement here.
This prompts me to offer some advise about evaluating websites. It’s easier than you think to evaluate a site for credibility. Probably all of you have seen this information at one point or another. However, I was working on a project early this week and some of the sites I was visiting were no good. So how did I know they were no good?
First, who is producing the site? Are the individuals or the organizations providing the content known or qualified to produce information they are sharing. Who is the author? How do you know that the Answer Maven is who she states herself to be? Generally, if information about the author of a blog is offered it can be authenticated. You should verify the information offered.
How current is the information? Look for a copyright date on a website or check for the currency of information on a blog.
Is there a way to contact the site about technical problems? Is contact information provided for the people involved with the organization?
If it is easy to contact folks involved with the site and you verify the information through other reputable sources then you have taken important steps toward ensuring credibility.
