Criteria for Evaluating the Reliability of Digital Archives

Part	Questions to Ask
Author:	Who created and/or edited the archive? What credentials or record of previous scholarship qualify him/her compile or edit the collection? Is there an advisory or an editorial board? Is the archive affiliated with a particular library, archive, museum or other research institution? Who is it published or hosted by?
Content:	Is there evidence that the archive is currently engaged in active, continuing preservation of digitized and/or born-digital and digitized cultural materials? Are there new additions to the collection? How does the archive ensure effective preservation of individual records? Does the archive consistently apply any set of digitization guidelines or policies (such as Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiatives) Is there a mission or scope statement that outlines the nature and extent of the materials included in the archive (i.e. selection criteria)? What is the level or quality of the metadata associated with specific records?
Audience:	Who is the archives geared toward? Is it created for students and researchers in the field, or for members of the general public? Are the materials in the archive intended for an audience with a specific interest in mind?
Sources	Does the author cite any primary or secondary sources? Do the citations include standard bibliographic information in a consistent manner? What style of citation is used? Is there a bibliography or a work cited list? Are supporting documents available, such as project report or timeline, grant applications, or digitization guidelines?