Website Evaluation Content adapted from: Beck, Susan. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It’s a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources . 1997. http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html Image courtesy of Kristen King

Spend a few minutes exploring this site. What are your general impressions of the webpage?

Five Criteria for Web Evaluation Authority Accuracy Objectivity Currency Coverage

Authority

Accuracy

Objectivity

Currency

Coverage

Authority Is there an author? Is the author qualified? Look for a header or footer showing affiliation. Look at the URL. http://www.fbi.gov Look at the domain: . edu, .com, .uk, .org, .net Anyone can publish anything on the web. It is often hard to determine a web page's authorship.

Is there an author? Is the author qualified?

Look for a header or footer showing affiliation.

Look at the URL. http://www.fbi.gov

Look at the domain: . edu, .com, .uk, .org, .net

Anyone can publish anything on the web.

It is often hard to determine a web page's authorship.

Are you able to identify the author of this site and/or the organization who created it? If not, how might that affect the usefulness of the information?

Accuracy Is the information reliable and error-free? Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information? Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers. Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy.

Is the information reliable and error-free?

Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information?

Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers.

Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy.

Does the author cite any of his sources on the site? If not, how might that affect the accuracy of the information?

Objectivity Does the information show a minimum of bias? Is the page designed to sway opinion? Is there any advertising on the site? Websites are often a “soapbox” for personal opinion.

Does the information show a minimum of bias?

Is the page designed to sway opinion?

Is there any advertising on the site?

Websites are often a “soapbox” for personal opinion.

Is there any evidence of bias on this page? If so, how might that affect the usefullness of the information?

Currency Is the page dated? If so, when was the last update? How current are the links? Have some expired or moved? Publication or revision dates are not always provided.

Is the page dated?

If so, when was the last update?

How current are the links? Have some expired or moved?

Publication or revision dates are not always provided.

Is this page up to date? If not, how might that affect the usefulness of the information?

Coverage What topics are covered? What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere? How in-depth is the material? Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage of a topic from a web page. The page may or may not include links to other web pages or print references.

What topics are covered?

What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere?

How in-depth is the material?

Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage of a topic from a web page. The page may or may not include links to other web pages or print references.

Does this site provided detailed/in-depth information? If not, how might that affect the usefulness of the information?

Remember: A Good Website Has… Authority Accuracy Objectivity Currency Coverage

Authority

Accuracy

Objectivity

Currency

Coverage