To judge a web page, check four things before you trust it: who runs the site and why, whether the author is named and qualified, whether it links to evidence you can follow, and whether a professional look is hiding thin or sales-driven content.

Print used to do some of our thinking for us. Getting something published meant clearing editors, reviewers, costs — a rough filter for quality. The open web removed that filter entirely. Anyone, anywhere, can publish anything, instantly, and make it look as authoritative as they like. Which is wonderful, and also exactly why this skill matters.

What to check before you trust a web page

  • Who runs the site, and why? (The “About” page often tells you more than the article.)
  • Is the author named and credentialed, or anonymous?
  • Does it link to evidence you could actually follow?
  • Is the polish hiding thinness? Looking official is not the same as being reliable.
Reading a page critically
A health site looks thoroughly professional. But: the About page names no authors; the articles cite no studies; and nearly every page ends with “buy our product”. It looks trustworthy, yet fails on authority and purpose. Handle with care.
Try this
Pick a website you used this week. Can you find who is behind it and why it exists? Time yourself. If it takes more than a minute, that opacity is itself a quiet warning.

🔗 A friendly free guide: Excelsior OWL — Evaluating Sources

That’s a full toolkit for judging what you read: clear criteria, the scholarly/popular distinction, an ear for bias, the lateral-reading move, and a critical eye for the web. Have a look at the Course Wrap-up — and well done.

© FRELIP, released under CC BY 4.0. Linked resources remain under their own licences. Curated by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.

Última alteração: quinta-feira, 4 de junho de 2026 às 22:38