Review the criteria about the audience of a secondary scholarly work. Few websites today attempt the rigorous criteria of methodology of printed scholarly works or seriously try to advance scholarship or are peer-reviewed. Still, many websites are serious works of reliable secondary (analytical) scholarship, especially if created by a scholar, researcher, and/or librarian.
How can you tell if a website is scholarly or popular?
Ask yourself:
- Who is the author? Are their credentials stated and are they appropriate?
- Is the name of the sponsoring organization given? Is it a recognized one?
- Are statements backed up with credible documentation?
- Are the sources credited?
- Is the information current and is the date of publication evident?
Evaluating electronic resources
This guide from Georgetown University Library is useful and comprehensive.
