Links From
Below is the entire module on one page.
How reliable are the pages that link from a web site to other Internet resources?
Most web sites are not self-contained. They include links from other web sites and/or resources. These links are clues to the credibility of the author and reliability of the information we are reading.
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Where do these links lead?
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Who authored the information on the other end?
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Are the links featured on the website from credible sources?
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Do these links support or contradict facts or opinions on the author's page?
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Do these pages add any new information on the topic?
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Are the pages on another site or the same site? Domain?
Follow the links on an author's page, answer these questions, and we find out. Yes or no, we know something important about the original web site.
Why should I want to know to whom the author links the web pages?
Links to other pages are like footnotes in a hard copy document, they can provide a context for evaluation. They can tell you how the author supports his argument and what other information he considers important.
How do I find out to whom the author links the web pages?
If a link is no longer working, "truncate" the URL and try to find the same or related page on the same site. Run your cursor over the URL then select and delete from the right side back, stopping at different "/" marks.
Try each one until you find a page that tells you more about the site.
- Who sponsors it?
- Are they reputable?
- In the same field?
Click each of the links below to see truncation in action:
You can also use a search engine to search for the same file name on the site. This is how you would search the 21cif.imsa.edu web site for this tip on Links From found on a page called "evaluate3.html".
Each web site that offers a "search this site" option may set it up a little different, but there should be a text box in which to write the file name. The file name should be everything after the final "/" in the URL.