Evaluating Web Sites

Why Evaluate Websites?• No one controls or verifies the majority of

information posted on the internet!

• Some sites have an editorial staff and resident experts, but many do not.

• Some sites are not objective; many show bias.

• Some use strongly opinionated language.

• Some contain inaccurate information.

• Some have misspellings or grammatical errors.

• Some of the information is not current.

Knowing What’s What & What’s Not

Six Criteria for Evaluation: Authority- Who wrote the information? Currency- Is the information up-to-date? Accuracy- Does it contain mistakes? Purpose- What is the motive of the site? Ease of Use- Is it easy to use? Coverage- How much information is given?

Understanding a Web Page Layout

Authority?

• Is the author’s name evident?

• Is the author qualified?

• What it the author’s educational background?

• Who is the sponsor?

• Is there a link to author information?

• Is there contact information for the author?

Author-------------

Currency?

• Is a date clearly displayed?

• Does the information seem current?

• When was the page last revised?

• What is the copyright date?

• Does the content require routine revision?

• Do the links on the site still work?

Look at the Websites below and answer the following:

www.globeandmail.com

www.cnn.com

www.cbc.comHow current or up-to-date is it?Does it matter if the content is updated often?Is there an easy way to tell when it was last

updated?What exactly does “update” mean?

Accuracy

• Are there any misspelled words?• Do you notice grammatical errors?• Is there an editor?• Does the information seem complete?• Is the information organized?• Does the background of the author point to

his knowledge of the subject?• Does the author cite his sources of

information?

PURPOSE• Is the purpose of the site to sell things?

• Does it try to entertain you?

• Does it promote certain ideas?

• Does it provide useful information?

• Does it have a dual purpose?

• The purpose should be clear.

• The content should reflect the purpose.

Infomercials:Some Web sites claim to provide education

and information for children but they also focus on selling a product:

www.kelloggs.com www.colgate.com

www.disney.go.com

How much is information?

How much is advertising?

Is any personal information requested?

URL Clues to the Purpose• .org= non-profit organization*• .gov= government (state, local, federal)• .com= commercial site*• .edu= educational (school or college)• .biz= business• .pro= professional• .net= personal page from private provider*• .info= informational• .name/~name= individual*Now, anyone can apply for & use these letters!

URL Explained• www.media-awareness.ca/english/tools/

site_directory

• www= world wide web

• Media-awareness.ca= domain name

• English/tools/site_directory=directories & subdirectories leading you to this page.

Objectivity

• Is there anything controversial about the subject matter?

• Does it contain convincing language?• Does it use games, giveaways or gimmicks

to persuade?• Is the language extreme or emotional? Answering yes to these questions indicates

that the site promotes bias & prejudice.• http://www.navs.org

Ease of Use

• Does the website load quickly?• Do the links work?• Are the graphics useful?• Is there a search function?• Is it well organized?• Is it too advanced or too basic?• No fees or personal information should be

required.

Coverage

• Does it cover the topic appropriately?

• Is the information current & accurate?

• Are there links to additional information?

• Is the information suited to the intended audience?

• Does the site offer more than one viewpoint?

Qualities of a Good Website: The information on the site should be easy to

find and use. The site design should be appealing and

appropriate for its intended audience. Users should be able to get around easily. The page should load in a reasonable time. There should be no charges or required

personal information to use the site. The site should be consistently available. The text should be easy to read.

More Qualities of a Good Website There should be enough information to make

visiting the site worthwhile. Spelling and grammar should be correct. The information should be current. A search function should be provided for sites

with a lot of information. Links to more information should be provided. The viewpoint should be unbiased. Graphics should support the topic. Author or sponsor of the site should be stated. The site’s purpose should be clear.