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Evaluating Websites

Please exercise caution when using the Internet for research. Information on the Internet is mostly unfiltered. There is little control over much of what is posted. Virtually anyone can create a website on any subject, whether or not they have training, education, or experience in the subject field. Therefore, the existence of a website does not automatically make its contents accurate or reliable. Always examine websites for basic clues, which indicate the page is a credible source. 

When examining a webpage, always check the information given in the three main components of the page: the header, the body, and the footer. Information in these sections gives basic clues necessary for an evaluation process. 
 
Header
 Body
Footer

  
Criteria Source Location
Authority  Author or Contract Person  Footer
Link to local home page Header or Footer
Institution / Organization  Header or Footer
Domain Description:
__.edu (educational)
__.com (commercial)
__.org (organizational)
__.gov (governmental)
 		 Last three letters of the root URL (Internet address)
Accuracy Bibliography Listed? Body
Objectivity Advertising? Body
Personal Opinions? Body
Currency Date of Creation and/or Revision Footer
 Coverage Intended Audience? Body
Purpose? Body

AUTHORITY

Who is the author/organization sponsoring the page? (Be careful not to confuse authors with webmasters.)
Does the author or organization provide e-mail, postal addresses, or phone contacts?
Are the author’s qualifications provided?
Is the organization listed in the Encyclopedia of Associations, etc?
What does the URL indicate? (.org, .gov, .com, .edu)
Is the information protected by copyright and who is the copyright holder?
Does the sponsoring organization have a known bias?

ACCURACY

Is there a bibliography, or listing of sources of information, that can be verified?
Is the information free of errors in spelling, grammar and typing?
Is the information cited correctly?

OBJECTIVITY

Why is the information being provided?
Is the information provided fact or opinion?
Is it free of advertising? If not, is it separate from the site content?
Be skeptical. View the Web Page as you would a television infomercial. 

CURRENCY

Is a date provided on the Web page? If so, does it indicate the date the page was written, the date it was placed on the Web, or the date the page was last revised?
Is the information kept up to date? (Does is need to be?)
Are there dead links? 

COVERAGE

Is there an indication of scope and content?
Has the page been completed or is it under construction?
If a print equivalent of the Web page exists, is the entire work available on the Web or only part of it?
Can you view the page information properly as is or do you need a special browser or any special software? If the page requires special software, how much are you missing if you don’t have the software? Can you rely on what little you can view?
Does the page have a good balance of images and text?

 
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Last Updated 16 May 2008
   

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