It is impossible to have just one rule or one list of criteria for evaluating "internet" (aka "web" aka "online") sources.

A web page or web site can many different types of content. A "web site" could be:

• A search engine
• A peer-reviewed journal that makes articles available online
• An online store
• A database
• A blog
• An online newspaper or news site
• An e-book or online dissertation
• Someone's personal page in an online network (LinkedIn, Facebook)
• Government documents (e.g. the U.S. Census)
• Legal documents
• A digital photo album
• A reference site such as an encyclopedia or dictionary
• Data or reports from a research institution
• ...and much, much more

You can see that some sites offer scholarly content, some are clearly not meant for research purposes, and many sites will be somewhere in-between.

The good news is that you can use standard evaluation techniques - like the five criteria - on internet resources as well as print resources. You may want to review the CARS Checklist information; it gives specific examples of what to look for when evaluating internet sources.

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