Evaluating Websites
Depending on the purpose of your paper you may use on-line web sources. By applying these five criteria you can decide if they are sources to use. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Authority
Is the document author or site sponsor clearly identified?
Does the site provide contact information for the author or sponsor? - Objectivity or clear disclosure of advocacy
Is the site's purpose clear (for example, to inform, entertain or persuade)
Is the site explicit about declaring its point of view?
Does the site indicate whether it is directed toward a specific audience? - Coverage
Are the topics covered by the site clear?
Does the site exhibit a suitable depth and comprehensiveness for its purpose?
Is sufficient evidence provides to support the ideas and options presented? - Accuracy
Are the sources of information stated?
Do the facts appear to be accurate?
Can you verify this information by comparing this source with other sources in the field? - Currency
Are the dates included in the website?
Is the information current, or at least still relevant for the site's purpose? For you purpose?
Criteria list taken in whole from: Ramage, Bean and Johnson. The Allyn and Becon Guide to Writing. 5th Ed. customized for Marquette University. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2009: 602.
Born on This Day
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General
- Biography Searchable text of 25,000 entries. Official site of the Biography Channel television series.
- Biographical Dictionary Contains brief information on over 33,000 people from all fields from antiquity to the present. Can be searched by names or keywords.
- Dead People Server Interesting site which notes if celebrities from all areas are dead or alive. Gives birth dates and if dead, provides date of death and cause.
- Find-A-Grave Provides location of graves of notable persons; is searchable by name or geographical area. Some entries include actual photos of graves.
- Infoplease Almanac: Biography Includes over 30,000 biographies.
- Social Security Death Index Available free through Ancestry.com, this site contains records of over 60,000 million names of deceased persons in the U.S. Usable for genealogists and other researchers. Records are from the Master Death File of the U.S. Social Security Administration.
- Yahoo - Society and Culture: People Yahoo's links to sites containing biographical information from various disciplines: journalism, entertainment, government, history, etc.
Political/Legal
- American President: An Online Reference Source A comprehensive collection of material about the Presidents of the United States and the history of the presidency. This web site features essays about the President's life before, during, and after each presidential term.
- Justices of the Supreme Court
- Political Graveyard Directory of over 180,022 politicians, living and dead.
- Royal Genealogies Genealogies for the members of the royal families of the British Isles.
- World Rulers Heads of state and government.
Scientific
- Biographical Memoirs Brief biographies of deceased National Academy of Sciences members.
- History of Mathematics Archive (MacTutor) Contains over 1000 biographies of mathematicians.
- Inventors' Hall of Fame Mostly contains American inventors; is searchable by inventor's name or by invention.
Miscellaneous
- Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Contains over 10,000 scholarly biographies of significant Australians who died before 1980.
- China Vitae Provides more than 2500 biographies of current Chinese political, military, economic, business, and academic leaders.
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online Content includes biographies of those Canadians who died between 1000 and 1930.
- Nobel Prize Internet Archive Organized by prize and year, this site provides information and links regarding past Nobel Laureates.
- Online Encyclopedia of Significant People and Places in African American History
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414-288-1995
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