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Evaluating Online Information

A guide to help students determine the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage information they find on websites and other online sources.

Currency: Is the Information Current?

  • Is the publication date clearly stated?
  • Is the site current?
  • Are any links up-to-date and working?


Even when a date is provided, it may have various meanings. It may indicate:
- when the material was first written
- when the material was first placed on the web
- when the material was last revised

Try to determine the currency of the information based on what the site provides for you, and if it provides nothing, maybe that should factor into your determination of the site's value to your work.

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