Website EvaluationBecky Johnson – Teacher Librarian

With over 8 BILLION webpages on the world wide web, how do you

know which ones to trust?

is easy.

Finding good information takes skill.

Website Evaluation Checklist

Domain Name

5 Ws of Website Evaluation

Website Characteristics

Common domain names are:

edu - educational institutionsgov - governmentorg - usually non-profit organizations, but not alwaysnet - organizations involved in Internet servicescom - commercial organizations

Check the website DOMAIN name. It shows who sponsors the site. Some sponsors are more reliable then others. As a rule, the most reliable websites are the ones sponsored by educational institutions and governments.

Dom

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Nam

es

WHOWho wrote the pages and are they an expert? Is a biography of the author included? How can I find out more about the author? WHATWhat does the author say is the purpose of the site? What else might the author have in mind for the site? What makes the site easy to use? What information is included and does this information differ from other sites?

WHENWhen was the site created? When was the site last updated? WHEREWhere does the information come from? Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor of the site?

WHYWhy is this information useful for my purpose? Why should I use this information? Why is this page better than another?

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From Kathy Schrock – 5Ws of Website Evaluation

Web

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The site loads quickly.

The information is easy to read.

Web pages have no spelling or grammar mistakes.

The website is easy to navigate.

All links are active.

If there is advertising, it does not interfere with the page, e.g. pop-up ads or noisy video ads.

Examine the appearance and functionality of the website. Does it look professional?

Characteristics of a good website:

ExampleI’m getting ready to start my research project about Dragonflies.

Let’s see if I can find a good website.

First, I look at my search results and decide which sites are worth checking.

Dragonflies of Kentucky site looks pretty impressive. Lots of site info and relevant to my research.

Hmmm… Even though the information is relevant, TheDragonfly Site is lacking. No author, no date and it is affiliated with an online store.

Domain Name Domain Name

5 Ws of Website Evaluation

5 Ws of Website Evaluation

Website Characteristics

Website Characteristics

Dragonflies of Kentucky The Dragonfly Site

BEST For RESEARCH NOT For RESEARCH