Understanding the difference between a legitimate website and a dodgy one

One of the tricky things for new internet users, and some long term internet users, it coming to grips with what is a legitimate website and what is a dodgy one.  This guide is not designed to be read for research purposes but rather to provide a simple guide for people who don't know what to look for.

Simple Ways you and your children can tell if a Website is reliable?

The Internet contains some extremely valuable, high-quality information sources – and it also contains some very unreliable, biased sources of misinformation. Remember ANYONE can make a website.

That means you need to evaluate the quality of each website you use, whether it’s for a class assignment or your own use. Sometimes Internet sources can be more accurate than print sources. Sometimes it is better to stick with print sources. Be especially careful when shopping.

Depending on what you are using it for will need different levels of research.  This is designed as a guide to help you evaluate whether a particular Internet site is appropriate for your purposes.

Basic checks on Internet Information

1. Who authored or wrote the site?

Look for an “About” link at the top, bottom or sidebar of the webpage. Some pages will have a corporate author rather than a single person as an author. If no information about the author(s) of the page is provided, be suspicious. If there are no contact details also be suspicious.

Does the author provide his/her credentials? What type of expertise does s/he have on the subject s/he is writing about? Does s/he indicate what his/her education is? What type of experience s/he has? Should you trust his/her knowledge of the subject?

Try “Googling” the author – search his/her name at www.google.com. What kinds of websites are associated with your author’s name? Do the websites associated with the author give you any clues who they are? “Google” with caution – remember that sometimes more than one person can share the same name.

2. Who published the site?

What is the organization’s main purpose? What is the main purpose of the site? Is it cluttered with advertising? (suggesting it's not fully credible)?  Does the page appear to be professionally designed? Is the writing trying to persuade you to buy something? Are they promising something unrealistic?

Who is the intended audience? What is the quality of information provided on the website?     What type of other sites does the website link to?  Does it look and feel right after doing these checks?

Look at the domain name of the website – that will tell you who is hosting the site. For instance, the UCOL website is: https://www.ucol.ac.nz/. The domain name is .ac.nz  this URL tells you that the library website is hosted by UCOL. Do a search on the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/. This site provides information about the owners of registered domain names.  It is a .ac.nz site which means it is an educational site.

Check the organization’s main website, if it has one. Is it educational? commercial?  Government? Is it a reputable organization? Where is it based? Don’t ignore the suffix on the domain name (the three-letter part that comes after the “.”). The suffix is usually (but not always) descriptive of what type of entity hosts the website.. Here are some examples:

.edu.nz  = school
.ac.nz  = educations tertiary
.com or .co.nz or .co.kiwi = commercial
.govt.nz = government
.org.nz = non-profit  (mostly but not always)

The suffix at the end also tells you where it come from for example New Zealand sites are co.nz  OR .kiwi OR .nz where as a UK site might be .uk.  Here is a site where you can check where the domains come from http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/num/domains.htm THIS is REALLY important if shopping or paying.

3. Why did the author write it and the publisher post it?  

Why is the website there - is it to sell a product? „ as a personal hobby? „ as a public service? „ To further explore on a topic. To provide general information on a topic?„ To persuade you of a particular point of view?

Have a look at the site and ask yourself -  who is this designed for - people studying or the general public?  Which age group is it written for?  Is it aimed at people from a particular place?  Who is it aimed at?

4. Is the information timely and reputable?

When was the website first published? Is it regularly updated? Check for dates at the bottom of each page on the site. If you’re looking for statistics, information on current events, or information in fields like science, technology or healthcare, you probably need the most up-to-date information available. If you’re looking for information that doesn’t change, such as someone date of birth, it may not matter as much if the website is a little older as long as it is published/authored by a reputable source.

Are they reputable sites? If the author references online material, do they provide links to the material referenced?  What type of sites link to the website you’re evaluating? Is the website being referred by others?

This is the most important check.  Look the information you’ve gathered about your website and compare it to your information needs.  Ask yourself the question "Does this website provide what I need?"

Not all websites will work for all purposes – a website that is fine for finding general information on a disease won't work for a doctor.

If you are in doubt, ask someone who knows more.  Be especially careful when shopping.