Evaluating Web Sites
There are millions of documents available on the World Wide Web. Unfortunately, not all of the information is accurate, and attractive, eye-catching sites are not necessarily good ones. Thus, the ability to evaluate a website becomes an important skill. When assessing information on the Web, consider the following questions:
Evaluative Criteria
Authority
- Who is the author? Are they qualified to write the document?
- Know the difference between the author and the Webmaster.
- Are the names and credentials of the publisher/institution provided?
- Is a contact link provided to verify the legitimacy of the author?
Accuracy
- Are sources cited?
- Why was this page written and for whom?
- Is a bibliography provided?
- Are there errors of omission?
- Is the information factual?
Currency
- How current is the information?
- What was the original posting date?
- What is the date of the most current revision?
Audience
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is the intended audience evident from the content?
- Is the content appropriate for the audience?
- Is the presentation (reading level, design) appropriate for the audience?
Information
- Does the site refer to print and other non-Internet resources or only Internet resources?
- Is the copyright status stated?
- Does the site combine educational research and scholarly information with commercial product/service marketing?
Sponsorship
- Is the site officially or unofficially sponsored/supported by a particular group?
- Is the information biased in any way?
- Is third party or other financial support evident?
- Is there an "about [company] page"?
- Are any affiliations listed?
Advertising
- Is advertising clearly differentiated from the information content?
- Has advertising had any impact on the content?
Navigation
- Is a table of contents or site map provided?
- Is there a help section?
- Is a search engine embedded in the site or a link provided with instructions for use?
- Is there a link to the home page from each page?
- Is the user informed when linking to an external site?
Access
- Are there inactive/dead links?
- Is the site slow to download or often inaccessible?
- Are portions of the site restricted to registered users?
- Is there a fee for registration?
- Can you download information? Are there instructions provided for downloading?
Privacy
- Is a privacy policy stated?
- Is a secure site provided if necessary?
Need more information?