The intent of any Web page may not be immediately clear. Few Web sites declare their purpose, and even when they do the purpose may not be accessible from a particular document indexed by a search engine. Unfortunately, nearly all Web-based information resources exist in a near state of anarchy and most evaluative information must be gleaned from what is displayed. Few page creators include even minimal information to resolve the authority of authors. Some of the questions relate to the authority of the work.
Works can present facts, opinion, propoganda, or all three in varying degrees.
Critical or evaluative reviews of many reference resources, including CD-ROM and online databases, are published in Choice, Library Journal, American Reference Books Annual, and many scholarly journals. In general, the more familiar you are with the subject matter, the better able you will be to recognize widely respected and frequently cited authors. Often, a biographical resource , a book jacket, or a statement about the author within the publication will provide more detailed information that can be used to determine the author's qualifications. The more that is known about an author, the better a user is able to understand any evidence of bias, prejudice, or advocacy that may be found in a work. Verifying authorship, let alone an author's qualifications, can be difficult on the Web.