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Evaluating Websites

The Internet can be a valuable source of information, however it is important that you evaluate the information you get from the Internet to determine if it is reliable and useful to your research. If you are permitted to use the web for you research, always evaluate websites before you use the information you find there. When evaluating a website, look for:

Accuracy

Authority

Content/coverage

Currency

Objectivity

Design

Accuracy
  • Is the information accurate?
  • Are sources for the information listed?
  • Are links provided to verify information?
  • Is the information free from grammar, spelling, and typographical errors?
  • Is there some evidence of quality control such as an editor or peer review process?
    •

    Rationale:

    The nature of the Internet is such that anyone can "publish" information. There are no editorial standards that must be adhered to nor are there filters through which the "facts" can be examined and verified. Unlike a book or journal article in print, which becomes a permanent record of sorts, information resources on the Internet can be here today and gone tomorrow, which further complicates the student’s ability to verify information or even retrieve the same information in the future.

    Authority

  • Who "published" the page? Was it an individual, group, or organization?
  • Is the author qualified, in some way, to write on this subject? Are credentials and educational background listed?
  • Is the site sponsored by an individual, group, or organization?
  • What does the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) tell you about this web site?
    •

    .ac, .edu academic or educational servers
    .biz business servers
    .com commercial servers
    .gov government servers
    .net networks
    .org organizations

  • Can you truncate the URL and get to the "home page" or top of the page that contains the site?
  • Is there contact information on the page and are there links to contact information?
  • Is there a link to "about us" or other background information?
  • Is there information on the rationale for, or origin of the page?
    •

    Rationale:

    The URL is made up of components that identify a specific site. This includes the domain name. The domain name identifies the entity that supports the network server and identifies the nature or general type of organization that entity is. For example, cerritos.edu indicates that Cerritos supports the site network server and that Cerritos is an educational institution.

    Content/Coverage
  • What is the purpose of this web site? Is the purpose clear?
  • Does the content of the web site match its purpose? Does it inform, persuade, sell, educate, or just entertain?
  • Is the information opinion or fact? Is there evidence of research? Are references given?
  • Is the content organized? Well written?
  • Does this web site present unique information?
  • Is there value-added information such as an annotated bibliography?
  • How does this site compare with other sites providing the same or similar information?
  • Is the content comprehensive? Introductory?
  • Who is the intended audience for the site? Researchers, K-12 students, college students, the general public?
  • Is the information appropriate for the intended audience?
  • Do other web sites link to this site?
  • Does this site provide links to other sites? Do these links work and are they appropriate?
    •

    Rationale:

    There are few web sites with a table of contents, a preface or an introduction. Therefore, it may be difficult to ascertain the purpose and scope a book or a section in a magazine article can be compared with the previous chapter or section, or the conclusion of the book or article. This is usually not possible with a web site; consequently information is examined out of context. Information on the Internet is constantly subject to change. The content you retrieve today may not be there tomorrow. The location, sponsorship, etc. of the site may also change. There are also advantages to the constantly changing nature of the Internet. There is the ability to obtain information/news in "real time" experience through the presence of wire services, e-mail, bulletin boards, etc. on the Internet.

    Currency
  • Are there dates on the site to indicate when it was first published, revised or updated?
  • If the site is based on a print resource does it indicate the date of the print resource?
  • Is the online edition more recent than the print version?
  • Is there value-added information online?
  • Are time-sensitive topics included on the page? How frequently are they updated?
  • Is there an indication of how frequently the content of the site is updated?
  • Are there broken links or links to sites that have moved or no longer exist?
  • Are there links to sites with more current information?
  • If the site is historical in nature, is there an indication of when the site was first developed?
    •

    Rationale:

    Unlike print resources that can be identified with copyright dates or volume/issue numbers, the information on the Internet does not always have a copyright page nor a Library of Congress number indicating the year that it was created. Even if the page was created in 2001, without references/dates to verify the information, the student can’t verify that the research is based on the most current information. Many sites don’t include bibliographies from which users can determine the dates of the research material on which the information is based. The date a site is "published" may be ambiguous.

    Objectivity
  • What point of view does the author represent? Objective? Subjective? Pro or con?
  • Is the site presenting an opinion or just facts?
  • Is the site advocating a specific philosophy, a personal opinion, a group or organizational philosophy?
  • Is a product/service being advertised?
    •

    Rationale:

    For almost any topic, the Internet is sure to have a wealth of information, misinformation, and useless information. Unless students clearly understand what they are looking for, it will be difficult to sift through all of the sites in the results list. Even armed with clear objectives for the research project, the evaluation process can be frustrating.

    Design
  • Is the site user-friendly? Does it look neat and organized or is it too busy?
  • Is it easy to navigate through the site?
  • Are links clearly labeled? Are pages concise? Are there links within pages to allow you to go back, forward, and to the top of the page?
  • Is the site arranged logically?
  • Is there an index? Keyword searching?
  • Is user support provided and clearly labeled?
  • Is there appropriate use of technology?
  • Is there balance between white space and text?
  • Do images support the content?
  • Do the graphics load quickly?
  • Does the technology enhance the site? Does it provide value-added information (audio and video) or is the technology merely a substitute for content?
  • Does the web site require a specific browser, hardware, software or plug-ins?
  • Is the page accessible to visually impaired users?
    •

    Rationale:

    Ease of access, instant access, and currency are clearly the advantages of using the Internet for research. However, if the bells and whistles of technology and flashy designs detract from the usability of the site, the advantages are lost. After all, the most important feature of the Internet is information/content. Whether the content is text, video or audio clips, pictures, etc., it must be readily accessible to a variety of users or the information superhighway has a roadblock.


     

    Evaluating Websites – Online Forms

    CyberGuide Ratings for Content Evaluation
     http://www.cyberbee.com/content.pdf 

    CyberSmart – Rating Web Sites
     http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/act_sheets/CY00_Stdnt_G45_L16.pdf 

     

    Evaluating Websites – A Checklist

    Name/title of the web site:

    Address/URL:

    Accuracy
  • Who wrote the page?
  • Can you contact the person? How?
  • What is the purpose of the web site?
  • How is the author qualified to write the document on this page?

    • Authority
  • Who published the page?
  • What is the domain type of the web site?
    •

    Objectivity
  • What are the goals/objectives of the site?
  • How detailed is the information
  • What opinions are expressed by the author
    •

    Currency
  • When was the website first published?
  • When was it last updated?
  • Are the links (if any) up-to-date?
    •

    Content
  • If links are provided, do they relate to the content of the web site?
  • Is there a balance between text and images?
  • Are sources given for the information presented?
    •

    Overall Rating
  • How well does this web site meet your information needs?
    •

     

    01/07 ; 01/08

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    Web Author: Lorraine Gersitz (lgersitz@cerritos.edu)
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