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Ethics for Law Enforcement: Websites

WebSites

Because anyone can publish anything on the internet, it is very important to determine that the information you have found on a website comes from a reliable and authoritative sourceSo, how do you evaluate a website?

Ask yourself these questions when you are evaluating a website. Your answers will help you decide if the site appears to be a reliable source of information. In addition, we have provided a number of links to excellent guides for website evaluation. 

  Authority
  Content
  • Is the author/producer easy to identify?
  • Are the author’s credentials listed?
  • Is the author’s affiliation easy to determine (e.g. university, government)
  • Are there errors or discrepancies on the site?  
  • Is the content appropriate for your needs?
  • Is there sufficient coverage of the topic?
  Currency   Objectivity
  • Can you find the date that the site was created?
  • Was the site updated recently?
  • Do the links on the site work?
  • Is the information factual or opinion?
  • Is the site trying to sell something that seems too good to be true?  
  • Is the information consistent with other sources you’ve found?
  • Is the source of the information provided?