Evaluate all web-based information
Relevance: Is it relevant to your topic? Is it current? Is it too detailed or not detailed enough? What are the key concepts?
Authority: Are the authors experts in their fields? Has your lecturer recommeded the book or article? Who is responsible for the page? Is there copyright information or can you contact the person or organisation who created the page? When was the page last updated?
Purpose: What is the purpose of the website? Is it trying to sell? Does it represent a particular point of view? (opinions can be useful but may need to be balanced with other opinions)
The homepages of professional bodies generally provide information about membership, publications, activities and events and links to related sites.
Patents are an imortant source of information, much of the material is never published in any other format. there are a number of free resources available on the Internet but for a comprehensive search, reference should be made to The Patents Office. The Office's website gives information on patents and patent applications.
Remember you can be anyone on the Internet. The website you are viewing might be written by someone with no qualifications or knowledge!!
Many sites have an overview page called: About This Site or a Site Map. A Site Index can help you find specific information quickly. Look at the domain letters at the end of the URL to identify the type of site.
Standards are officially approved specifications applicable in various sectors of trade and industry. To identify standards use the British Standards and the National Standards Authority of Ireland catalogues online. The AIT library holds a number of British Standards. However, always check the British Standards catalogue for an up-to-date list of standards. Full text British Standards are available through the IHS database.