Evaluating Web Sites

Just like any source of information -- newspaper articles, radio & TV broadcasts, and even textbooks -- web sites vary in quality. You simply can't believe everything you read! To evaluate a web site, you need to use the same critical thinking skills that you would employ to evaluate any source of information. There is no mystery to the process of evaluation: you need to consider who wrote it and when, and you must give thought to its accuracy and objectivity.

The process of evaluating web sites has been well-documented right on the web. For example, check out the site provided at a libraray at New Mexico State University: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; or, Why it's a good idea to evaluate web sources. Here are the criteria that this site uses:

Accuracy

Is the information reliable and error-free?

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

Authority
Is there an author? Is the page signed?
Is the author qualified? An expert? Who is the sponsor?
Is the sponsor of the page reputable? How reputable?
Is there a link to information about the author or the sponsor?
If the page includes neither a signature nor indicates a sponsor, is there any other way to determine its origin?

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

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

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?

A bibliography for evaluating web sites also is available.

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