EVALUATING WEB SITES
Criteria for the Classroom
Trying to sort out the gems from the junk on the Internet?
Teachers and students may use the following criteria to select web sites for their academic work.
Faculty developing course syllabi may link to Faculty Checklist for Evaluating Information for more details.
Criteria for Evaluating Web Resources
Examples below represent particularly good or especially bad web sites for the criterion in question. Can you tell which is which?
Purpose
What is the purpose of the site or page? Look for tips in graphics and text. Web pages may be...
What does the URL (Web address) say about the producer of the web site, and its purpose? Look at the final syllable in the domain name. The first three sites below are all "White House" sites. Which is the official White House site? How can you tell? Note that all three sites are easily accessible in a web search for "White House".
- Country names appear as a two-letter abbreviation in the domain name. For a complete list, go to Domain Name Registries around the World.
- New domain names include .museum, .info and .biz, among others. Read more about them at InterNic FAQ on Domain Names.
Authority
- Who is the author?
- What are his credentials?
- Does he have sufficient authority to speak on the subject?
- Is there any way to reach him?
- Is there an organizational or corporate sponsor?
- Is this page authentic, or is it a hoax?
- Is there a reference list?
Objectivity
- Does the content reflect a bias?
- Is the bias explicit or hidden?
- Does the identity of the author or sponsor suggest a bias?
- How does the bias impact the usefulness of the information?
Appropriateness & Relevance
- Is the content appropriate for your classroom or your assignment?
- Is the reading level appropriate for your students?
- Is the content appropriate for the age or developmental level of your students?
- Is the content accurate, complete, well-written?
- Is the content relevant to your topic or question?
Currency
- Is the information on the page up-to-date?
- Can you tell when the page was last updated?
- Are there dead links?
- Is there a difference between the date the information was created and the date the page was last updated?
Responsibility
- Are the authors up-front about their purpose and content?
- Is there a way to contact the authors?
- Do the authors give credit for information used?
- Is there a reference list?
Clarity
- Is the information clearly presented?
- Is the text neat, legible and formatted for easy reading?
- If there are graphics, do they add to the content or distract?
- If there are advertisements, do they interfere with your ability to use the page?
- Are the pages well organized?
- Are there mistakes in spelling or word usage?
Accessibility
- Can you get in?
- Does the site load quickly?
- Can you move around the site easily?
- Is the site or page still there next time?
- Is there a text-only alternative for the visually-impaired?
Hoaxes!
Hoaxes present a major challenge for evaluating information found on the Web. Here are several examples to test your Evaluation IQ. To verify the authenticity of the site, you may have to drill down through several layers to find "About" or "Contact Us". Some of the examples below are harmless and entertaining; others are harmful, even hateful. All could give misinformation to the unaware reader.
