 |
|
|
Schauerman Library Web Guides - Evaluating Websites
Why?
The Web is still a relatively new medium and does not have all of the controls of the older communications media. For example, printed materials have editors, peer reviews, and publishers taking some responsibility for the materials published. They act as a filter to sieve out some of the more outrageous elements. The Web does not have these filters. Anyone may put up a website without asking permission or having to go through any review procedure. Professors and con artists alike may put up web pages with equal ease, if they have the know-how. So it is YOUR responsibility to judge each page for yourself - it is part of becoming information literate.
Existing Evaluation Tools
Criteria exist whereby to evaluate print materials, and we can certainly use these criteria. However, the web is a different medium altogether and so these criteria must be adapted for the web and certain new criteria found.
Things to Look for
Authority. Who put up the page? (an author, a body like a University or Government Dept. or a magazine) Check the bottom of the page, or footer, for this information. Are they experts in the field? What are their credentials? Do others cite them? Can this information be verified? Check the URL and the domains in the URL for clues. For instance, is it a .gov site or a .com site?
Currency. This has two facets: the currency of the page, and the currency of the information. Can you see clearly when the page was created or updated? Check the bottom of the page for this information. Also check the content area and look at the links - are they very old? Current information or content is very important in some disciplines, like medicine.
Coverage. What is the coverage of the site? Are there clear headings? Check the top of the page, or header, for a title. Are there helpful navigation tools to help you get from one area to another?
Accuracy. Is the information accurate? Is there a way to check the stated facts, for instance, are there hot links to outside sources that would verify the information presented? Is the grammar and spelling correct? Is there a bibliography? Study the content area.
Objectivity. Is the site objective and fair? Study the content. Who is the site linking to? Who is the audience? Again the URL and domains may be helpful in determining the audience and aims of the site.
EXAMPLES - What do you make of these sites?
Feline Reactions to Bearded Men. http://www.improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html
T is for Thinking. Go to the Pop Quiz Exercise halfway down the page that compares two AIDs sites. http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html
Mankato http://www.lme.mankato.msus.edu/mankato/mankato.html
Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division http://www.dhmo.org/
cs/ecc2002J