When evaluating Web content, it is important to consider the background of its author. The author is either the person or the organization responsible for determining what information is provided by the site. (Note that the "webmaster" or designer of a Web site is not usually considered to be the author.) You may need to browse around a site to determine its author.
Ask: Does the author have appropriate education, training, or experience to write with authority (credibility) on this topic?
| For example, the Victorian Web was created by a professor at Brown University. The Credits page provides more information about him. |  |
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Find out more about the author of this blog, Free Range Librarian, by clicking the About link near the top of the page. |
There are many ways to check up on author credentials. See Using Online Resources to Check Authority for more information.
In addition to the author of a page or site, think also about the Web server that "publishes" it.
Sites may sit on an organization's Web server but not be official pages of that organization. For example, some university departments allow students and faculty to publish "personal" pages on university Web servers. These pages are not official publications of the university.
Ask: Who is responsible for publishing this page?
Find the authors of these Web sites:
Compare your findings to our answers.
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