Evaluating a Web Site

When researching, it is sometimes difficult to tell how plus good or doubleplusungood a web site is.  Remember, web pages can be put up by any Yahoo who has a computer, Internet access, and a service provider.

It is suggested the way to check the veracity of a site is to ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it someone’s personal page?  What are the author’s credentials?

  • However...just because it's a personal page doesn't mean don't count it.  Just check it out. Does the author of the page have good information.  For example, my pages on Lord of the Flies are personal pages but the content is excellent! :-)

• What is the URL extension?  

  • .com   .edu  .org   .mil  .gov     .tv     ~ - a tilde means it is a personal web page.

  • However...there are personal web pages that don't have a tilde.

• Look for links that tell you something about the person putting up the pages

  •   check for:  About us, Who are we?, etc. 

• Is the page current and maintain?  Are the links working?

  •  However...does it have to be?  A page on Shakespeare with good information created in 1997 is relevant in 2008.  but, information on Bush's presidency in 2001 would not be as relevant as information in 2007 (unless you are looking for historical reference)

• Is the information on the page bias?  Do the links suggest bias? 

  • However...bias isn't always bad.  I'd expect a fan site supporting Brittany Spears to be bias to Spears. We just need to be aware the bias exists and take this bias into consideration when evaluating the site for our use.

• Who links to the page?  (This is an excellent way to check) 

  • Not sure of a page.  Go to Google advance search and check on who is linked to the page.  If you have accessed a page on Martin Luther King and see that a White Supremacy group links to it, you can make some inference about its validity.

• Does the author support material with footnotes and citations?

  • I'm an English teacher.  Support from the experts is always good.  

• Is it an original site or is it a cut and paste from another page?

  • The Internet has spawned many sites that are cut and paste pages/information from other sites.  Sometimes misinformation is spread like this.   Hmmmm, Catch it, Spread it!

• Why was the page put up?

  • Is it propaganda? Personal interest? Business?

• Could the page be a satire or parody?

  • There are people out there having fun!  Don't believe everything you access.

  Still not sure of a page?  Sometimes if you trim back the URL you can learn much about the site and who sponsors it. 

Many educational/library sites suggest that there are 5 areas to explore to evaluate a site: authority, objectivity, accuracy, currency and the 5th which I call "gut reaction."   

Read the following and visit the two sites under each and determine is the site good or questionable?

1. Authority

• Can the author of the page be determined?
• Is contact information provided (name, email, phone number or address)?
• Is the author affiliated with an organization? Or is the author speaking for him or her self?
• Are qualifications or credentials for the individual or organization provided?

From these two sites, which is good and which one is questionable?

http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVL-AsianStudies.html

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5000/tips.html

2. Objectivity

• Does the author have a bias or agenda? (Is this bias stated or hidden?)
• Does the author indicate his or her goal in providing the information?
• Is there a disclaimer included in page?
• "Objectivity" can work closely with "Authority"

From these two sites, which is good and which one is questionable?

http://www.all-natural.com/add.html

http://www.cancer.org/

3. Accuracy/Coverage

• Is the source of information provided?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the focus of the information?
• What is the depth of coverage of the information?
• Remember that almost anyone can publish on the web

From these two sites, which is good and which is questionable?

http://www.socialstudies.com/c/@EOW_f3bSqI81w/Pages/holo.html

http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v03/v03p469_Rollins.html

4. Currency

• Are dates included ("First Posted" date, "Last Updated" date)?
• Is the information current or out of date?

http://www.allaboutcancun.com/localbusinesses.htm

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/

5. Gut

Sometimes you need to just look at a site and determine if it is ok.  If your gut reaction tells you that you should question the site, you should!

• Check out these sites and tell me if they are "plus good" or "my bad".  How do you know?  

RYT Research Hospital 

4Hydrogen 

Pet Food 

DHMO

Other things to consider

• Does the presentation appear professional (no typos, misspelling?—that would never be my page! J)?
• Is the page easy to use and well organized?
• Do the links from the page connect adequately?
• Is special software necessary to view the entire page?
• Remember that the Internet can also be a vehicle or medium for reliable information such as periodical databases provided by the library (Examples: EbscoHost, FirstSearch)