For teaching students the criteria for evaluating websites and other free web information.

1. Stephanie Herfel
Librarian
Newburgh Campus Library

2. Be an investigator!

3. Purpose
 Why was the website created?
 .edu and .gov sites are reliable
 .com generally exist to sell you something
 .org sites are okay as long as the purpose is not to
convince that an opinion is fact
 Who is the intended audience?
 Is there a lot of advertising on the page = Be critical!

4. Authority
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Is the author’s name easy to find?
Is the author an expert on the topic?
Is an About Us page included?
Does the website have a contact page?
.gov, .edu, or .org site?
Are sources cited?

5. ABOUT US
http://www.cancer.org/

6. Let’s Look at an Example…
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

7. Objectivity
 Why was the webpage created?
 Fact or an opinion?
 Look out for bias
 Bias = an opinion formed without evidence,
facts, or knowledge.

9. Currency (When?)
 When was the webpage written?
 When was the page last updated?
 Medical and technology- dates are important
 Literature and history topics- dates are less important

10. Coverage
 Is there enough information for
your purpose?
 Is the information provided
appropriate for college research?
 Can the same information be found
from a more credible source?
(book, encyclopedia, or journal article)

11. Design
 How is the information arranged?
 Is it well organized?
 Is the webpage free of
spelling/grammar errors?

12. A reliable website has:
 Purpose. If your page was created to educate or help others and…
 Authority. If your page lists the author credentials and its domain is preferred
(.edu, .gov, .org, or .net) and…
 Objectivity. If your page provides accurate information with limited
advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and . . .
 Currency. If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page)
and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and . . .
 Coverage. If your page has enough information to suit your purpose, and …
 Design If the information is well organized and free of errors then . . .
IT HAS CREDIBILITY = A RELIABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION!

13. Searching Tip
To search within a specific top-level
website domain like .org, .edu, .gov,
type your topic/search term and then
add “site:.gov” or “site:.edu” after your topic.
Examples: global warming site:.gov
dietary supplements site:.edu

14. Work Cited
Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A
guide for library instruction." C&RL News
(July/August 1998): 522-523.