There is some very authoritative information available on the web, and there is also less reliable information. To evaluate sites, consider these criteria:
Purpose: What is the purpose of the site? To inform? To persuade?
Authority: Who is the author of the webite and what are the credentials of that person or entity? The author may be an individual or an organization.
Timeliness: How current is the information? Can you tell when it has last been undated?
Scope: How deep is the website? Is it within your range of comprehension? Is it too simple? Is it too technical?
When using websites, be sure to investigate how respected the site and information contained within it are. Many user-controlled sites, such as Wikipedia, have little respect in the academic community. Be aware of the purpose of the site, as well as who moderates the information on the site.
If quality and credibility are key, these resources lead to scholarly websites on a variety of topics relating to sociology:
Vogel Library, Wartburg College | 100 Wartburg Blvd, Waverly, IA, 50677 | Phone: 319-352-8500 | Email: asklibrarian@wartburg.edu