Evaluating a Web Page

I. Authority

• Does the webpage have an author?
• Is this author qualified? An expert in their field?
• If there is a sponsor, who is it?
• Is the sponsor of the webpage reputable? How so?
• Is there a link to information about the author or sponsor?
• If the page includes neither a signature nor indicates a sponsor, is there any way to determine its origin?

Key Points:

• Look for a header or footer showing affiliation.
• Look at the URL http://www.fbi.gov/
• Look at the domain. The following will likely be the most useful, but you will still need to critique the site: .edu, -.org, -.gov., -.ac.uk Sites you would need to critique more thoroughly include (but are not limited to): .com and .net

Rationale:

1. Anyone can publish anything on the web.
2. It is often hard to determine a web pages authorship.
3. Even if a page is signed, qualifications are not always provided.
4. Sponsorship is not always indicated.

II. Accuracy

• Is the information reliable and error free?

• Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information?
   

1. Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or fact checkers.
2. Currently, no web standards exist to insure accuracy.

III. Objectivity

• Does the information show a minimum of bias?
• Is the page designed to sway opinion?
• Is there any advertising on the page?

Rationale:

1. Frequently the goals of the sponsors/authors are not clearly stated.
2. Often the web serves as a virtual "Hyde Park Corner," a soapbox.

IV. Currency

• Is the page dated?
• If so, when was the last update?
• How current are the links? Have some expired or moved?

Rationale:

1. Publication or revision dates are not always provided. You will want recent, accurate information for the best possible research.
2. If a date is provided, it may have various meanings. For example:
   1. it may indicate when the material was first written
   2. It may indicate when the material was first placed on the web.
   3. It may indicate when the material was last revid

What on a webpage makes it "true"? What distinguishes it as academic versus a site that is filled with inconsistencies and untruths?

V. Coverage

• What topics are covered?
• What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere?
• What is its intrinsic value?
• How in-depth is the material?

Rationale:

1. Web coverage often differs from print coverage.
2. Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage of a topic from a web page. The page may or may not include links to other web pages or print references.
3. Sometimes Web information is "just for fun," a hoax, someone's personal expression that may be of interest to no one, or even outright silliness.

To take a more active look at evaluating webpages, click here.

 Create your own educational wiki!HelpPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS