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How to Evaluate a Website
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How can I find good websites for my academic research?
Anyone can create a website. There is no official editorial process. This allows useful information to mingle with useless information. Truth with Lies. You must evaluate for yourself which websites provide the best material for your research.
Authority
Question Authority:
- Who is giving the information?
- Is that person or organization reliable? Trustworthy? Objective?
- What makes the person/group and expert on the subject?
Accuracy
- Is the information correct?
- Are there grammar or spelling errors?
- Do the links go to the appropriate places? Are there dead links?
Accuracy
- Is the information correct?
- Are there grammar or spelling errors?
- Do the links go to the appropriate places? Are there dead links?
Objectivity
- Is the site trying to sell something? Entertain, persuade, or inform?
- Is the information biased? Does the author define the intended audience?
- Does the site present multiple points of view?
Currency
- When was the site created?
- When was the page last updated?
- Is currency a factor for the information you seek?
Coverage
- How much of the site is dedicated to the information you need?
- Is advertising separated from facts?
- Is the site "under construction?" If so, is there an indication of when it will be completed?
Domain Name
Use the domain name, the URL or site address to help you determine the type of information on the website:
- .edu (educatinal institution)
- .com (commercial or business)
- .gov (government entity)
- .org (non-profit organization)
- .us (two-letter country codes)
Evaluation Worksheets
Follow these links to evaluation worksheets that you can print out and use to evaluate each website
- http://staff.library.wisc.edu/instruction/instmat/Custom/evalweb.pdf
- http://pace.edu/library/node/240
Don't Forget...
- Evaluate a site BEFORE you use it
- Trust you instincts, even if the site looks good, make sure you can find the same information somewhere else
- You are responsible for the quality of the information you put in your research.