| Authority | Accuracy | Currency |
| What are the authors qualifications?
How reputable is the publisher? |
How reliable is the information?
Are there editors and fact checkers? |
Is the content of the work up-to-date?
What does the date on the web page mean, 1st created, last revised? |
| Objectivity | Coverage | |
| Is the information presented with a minimum of bias?
Are the goals/aim of the web site clearly stated? |
What topics are included in the work?
To what depth are topics explored? Often hard to determine extent of coverage on web sites. |
Use the links below to find sources that will help you
determine the reliability (authority, accuracy...) of the sources you want
to use.
| About the Author | About Periodicals | About Books | About Web sites |
Library catalog Look in our catalog to see what books we have by or about this person.
WorldCat. Do an author search to see what other
books the author has written.
Dissertation
Abstracts.
Do an author search to see topic of dissertation, when and where the doctorate was given.
Biography and Genealogy Master
Index. An index to the various biographical dictionaries such as Who's Who, Who's Who in America,
Directory
of American Scholars, and hundreds of others.
New York Times Obituaries Index. 1858-1978.
Actual articles will be on microfilm.
Print: Reference CT
213 N47
1980+ use LexisNexis
Academic which includes full-text articles from the
New York Times, 1980+
After 1978 use the New York Times Index.
Print: In the Micromaterials
Area MicroRef AI 21 N45
Obituaries from the Times. (London) Includes
reprints of the articles for leading
personages. For others only the reference
citation is given. Articles would have to
be obtained through Interlibrary Loan.
Print: Reference CT
120 O16 (1951-1975)
1990+ use LexisNexis
Academic which includes full-text articles from
the London Times.
Arts & Humanities Search. This is a citation index. Use it to see if your author has been cited in other articles.
National Faculty Directory. A list of faculty at
universities around the country.
Print: Reference L 901 N34
Official Museum Directory. Look in the personnel
index in the back.
Print: Reference AM 10 A2 O44
Check the Web using various search engines for faculty home pages, university
web sites, other directories, etc.
google.com
www.altavista.com
The Library subscribes to a Web collection of college catalogs.
The reference
librarian on duty can log you on. A password is required.
Magazines for Libraries. Gives information regarding
reliability, bias of periodicals,
if it is peer-reviewed (refereed).
Print: Reference PN
4832 M34
Ulrich's International Periodical Directory. Tells
if a journal is refereed.
Print: Reference Table
E (Behind the Reference Desk area)
Book
Review Digest. 1983+ Index to book reviews appearing in newspapers,
journals, and magazines.
Print 1906+:
Reference Table A
Book Review Index. Index to reviews appearing in
newspapers, journals and magazines.
Print 1965+: Reference
Table A
New York Times Book Review Index, 1896-1970. Index
to book reviews appearing in the
New York Times newspaper. The actual articles
are on microfilm.
Print: Reference Table
A
LexisNexis
Academic
Includes full text of reviews appearing in many
newspapers from about 1980 forward.
Humanities Abstracts
1984+ Includes book reviews from
1974.
Print 1974-1984: Reference
AI 3 S63
Art Index Retrospective. 1929-1984. Coverage of older articles in international periodicals and journals in the arts. Also in print 1929-1997: Reference N1 A1 A78.
Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask : by UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops