The research process had been altered in the past five years by the widespread availability of the Internet. In the traditional research process, teachers and librarians assisted students by teaching search skills within a library setting. Card catalogues, online databases, abstracts, and reference sections were the norm. However, teachers and librarians have noted recently that students are turning more towards the Internet as the primary research tool, specifically the World Wide Web, hereafter referred to as the Web. Therefore, it is a relatively new challenge to educators to teach students how to apply critical evaluation skills to information that they find on the Web. With the students having access to the information more readily, learning strategies need to be designed to help students use information more effectively as a tool for problem solving and decision making (Farah, 1995).

The greatest concern for educators is that most information found on the Web is not filtered. It is not like a library, journal, newspaper, or encyclopedia that is accepted as valid and reliable. No means of evaluation exist to monitor information on the Web. It is also unlikely that there ever will be a system of evaluation put into place because the Web is a worldwide tool (Descy, 1997) with many cultures, scholars, and disciplines. In a study by Peline and Swartz (1996), it was found that over one million Web pages are placed online every month, but very little are of high quality. The need to carefully evaluate these are alluded to by some authors (Oliver, Wilkinson, & Bennett, 1998; Tate & Alexander, 1996) because over 50% of the material posted on the Web is self-promotional and/or commercial (Oliver et al., 1998).

Librarians, information professionals, have recognized this problem (Fenske, 1998; Johnson, 1995), and have created guidelines for evaluating electronic information (Livengood, 1998; Pujola, 1998). These guidelines are not just limited to Web resources, they also include other media such CD-ROMs, video media, and databases. Many of these checklists and guidelines are designed for other librarians and teachers, not the high school student. There are some guidelines that are provided by teachers for their students in regard to Web usage. However, these guidelines are localized and are usually assembled quickly by the teacher without taking the time to research criteria that are essential to Web information usage. This is not a poor reflection on the teacher's part. The effort is duly noted and acknowledged. Teachers do not do the research because teachers do not have the luxury of time to do the research (Freeston & Costa, 1998; Graham, 1998).

It would be possible to have students utilize the same checklists and guidelines developed by librarians for other librarians and teachers, but these checklists are too complex for high school students. They were developed for education professionals who understand such terms as "motivational factors" and "assessment rubrics". The checklists are also very lengthy and time consuming, making it less likely that students will utilize the checklists for a Web resource that is valued for its speed and convenience. Librarians (Collins, 1996; Farah, 1995; Johnson, 1995; Wilkinson, Bennett, & Oliver, 1997) and educators (Carrigan, 1997; Tate & Alexander, 1996) have already stated the need for evaluation methods for students. It is the purpose of this project to research and assemble guidelines developed by teachers and librarians, then develop simpler guidelines for student use modeled after the recommendations of Carrigan (1997) and Descy (1996). Eventually, this process of critical evaluation will become second nature to the student, and the guidelines will no longer be needed.