Evaluating information is a key point in the research process (Rader, 1998). During an informal survey of high school students, it was found that the research process consists of approximately five steps: (a) identification of the research topic, (b) gathering resources, (c) evaluating those resources, (d) writing the paper, and (e) turning it in for a grade by the teacher. Often, teachers gave the students guidelines on expectations, such as the total number of pages and the minimum amount of resources that were expected to come from books, journals, and other media. Teachers were confident that the information was valid and reliable if the information came from a journal or book since these media have evaluation criteria already set upon them by the publishing body. In recent years however, this step of the research process has become altered because of the increase in computer and Web literacy (Farah, 1995).

Traditionally, the classroom is where the quest for knowledge takes place and the library is thought of as the place where information search skills are developed. Though educators would hope that content and quality are primary factors in a research project for students, time and effort are actually the top factors for students. This has caused students to turn more towards the ease and efficiency of the Web as a research tool, an alarming observation made by both teachers and librarians. When the library is passed over, the result is the decrease in skill of information location, evaluation, and use. In short, students may become less information literate when they rely heavily on the Web as their primary research tool (Tate & Alexander, 1996).