Evaluating Web Sites

Authority / Objectivity / Accuracy / Currency / More Info

If you regularly use the World Wide Web to gather information, you will have noticed that the amount of information is overwhelming and the quality of the information is highly variable. Since anyone with a computer and a connection to the Internet can "publish" information, the user of that information is obliged to review the quality of information with more care than is commonly used for print, broadcast or other more established media. Scholars are accustomed to evaluating their information sources, and many of the criteria they use for print sources can be extended to Web sources. The points below can be used to quickly review a Web page to see if it will meet your information needs.

To evaluate a Web page you'll need to look at the header, footer, and URL as well as the main body of the page. Look for clues which will help you determine the authority, objectivity, accuracy, currency, coverage or scope, and intended audience for the page.

Can you tell who is the author of the page? (The term "webmaster" often refers to someone who loads the page and not necessarily the author of the content.)

Is the author an authority in the field? Does he present any credentials or can you find any biographical information that would help you establish the author's credentials?

Is the page sponsored by a reputable group or organization?  In the U.S. the URL extension will give some clue about the organization mounting the Web site.

• .com extensions commonly denote a corporate entity

• .org extensions denote a non-profit organization

• .edu extensions denote an educational institution

• .gov extensions denote a governmental agency or institution

Objectivity

Is the purpose of the site clearly defined?  Is the site intended to inform or teach, to sell you a product, to persuade you to change you views on a topic?

Does the site cover multiple sides of a topic or promote only one viewpoint?  Does the site provide  a comprehensive coverage of the topic or is it an opinion paper on the topic?

Can you determine if the site is directed at a particular audience? 

Does the site contain advertising?

Accuracy

How accurate is the information provided? 

Is the page free of errors in spelling and grammar? 

Can you verify the information in another source? 

Does the site provide a bibliography or links to other Web sites on the same topic?

Currency

When was the page created? 

When was it last updated?  (The footer will often give these dates)

Is the information on the site obviously out of date?

Coverage

Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the document's theme?

How detailed is the information?

Is the page composed of all images, or is there a balance of text and images?

Is the information that is presented cited correctly?

Is it free, or is there a fee to obtain the information?

More Information About Evaluating Web Sites

Evaluation of Information Sources  -  (W3 Virtual Library) - a large set of links on evaluating the web

Evaluating Information Found on the Internet - a very good guide from Johns Hopkins University which includes useful subtopics such as "Understanding and Decoding URLs" and "Practical Steps for Evaluating Authorship, Publishing Body, and Currency"

Web Research Evaluation Checklist - particularly useful site from the University of Louisville for the examples of web pages that illustrate evaluation criteria