Evaluating Web sites

URL:

Prior to opening a page, you can save time by determining if a specific search result will be useful in your research or not. To do so examine the URL of the page for the criteria below.

Is the publisher of the page a reliable source?	Yes No	Name of publisher: (The site used should have a good reputation for reliablity and accuracty of information)
Looking at the domain, is the publishing entity a reliable source? (.gov, .edu)	Yes No	Type of domain:(while .com is not usually as trustworthy as .gov or .edu, in in some instances .com and .org are good to use, but they require moer research than the others two)
Is this page a personal page?	Yes No	Author:(Factual pages provide reliable information unlike many personal pages which can be unreliable. Try to avoid personall pages whenever possible)

Source:

Before selecting a site, it is important to analyze where the page came from and who is the author that created the page. Answering the following questions will help you to decide if the page you are looking is one that should be trusted for use in research.

Is there a clear source claiming responsibility for this page?	Yes No	Name:(It is always good to have a clear source claming responsibility because it helps give insight into the type of information the page will provide.)
Does the author provide credentials?	Yes No	Credentials:(Always check to make sure that the page is created by a source that has enough authority to write on the topic. Many people may think they have the knowledge, but if they don't have the credentials, be skeptical of the ideas presented)
Is there a way to contact the author?	Yes No	Contact information:(If a site only provides an e-mail address, that is not sufficient to use a contact. It is always good to look for sites that provide away to contact the author in case you want to clarify their credentials)

Accuracy:

Accuracy of information on a web page is critical to be considered a reputable source. Errors in typing and spelling can alter the meaning of different words easily and therefore are absent in good web pages. Since there is no governing body that looks at web pages. before they are posted, verifying the legitimacy of all resources sited on the page will be a key factor in determining the value of a page as a resource.

Are there grammatical, spelling, or typing errors?	Yes No	Example:(no mistakes indicates the author took care in developing the page and can possibly be a reserach source)
Are sources of factual information present on the site	Yes No	Sources:(The presence of factual information is a must for use as a research tool, if there is no factual information present avoid using the site)
Are there links to additional sites or references?	Yes No	Examples:(Links to additional sites will help you to determine if there are any irregularities in the information provided by the site you are reviewing)
Are references reputable and scholarly	Yes No	Reference:(Links that lead to scholarly or reputable sources are better than others because the information can be guaranteed to be factual)

Objectivity:

Determining whether or not a page present the information with prejudice is a crucial factor in determining if a site is a good resource or not. Since anyone can post a web page, the views expressed may not be neutral. Being able to distinguish between expressed personal views and neutral factual view points is a necessary skill for choosing the right sources.

Is there an obvious sponsor for the site?	Yes No	Name:(Pages that have obvious sponsors may have biased information that does not present both sides of an issue)
Is there a clear distinction between any advertising that the site information?	Yes No	Types of advertising: (There are some pages that make it difficult to distinguish what is an add and what is part of the page's information. Try to avoid pages that don't provide a clear distinction)
Are the views expressed on the page based on factual information?	Yes No	Information source: (Read the page and try to determine if the tone is advocating one side of an issue over another. If there is a biased tone, the information needs to be looked at skeptically)
Is the information provided as a public service?	Yes No	Reason for information: (public service information is generally factual, but make sure the information is coming from a reputable source still)

Updates:

In many instances, information on the Internet can be outdated, especially when the information is discussing current issues in medical and scientific research or political events. Determining the age of the information and whether or not the page is update is important for choosing the right resource.

Are there dates present to help determine when the page was written and last updated?	Yes No	Dates:(because a page can be posted and left, there is not guarantee that information is current. Check to see if there is a date that will tell you when the most current update of information was done, otherwise, view the information carefully.)
Aside from a date, is there any other indication the page kept up to date?	Yes No	Indications:(always check to make sure that there is some type of date that will tell how recent the information presented is)
Are links on the page still active and accurate?	Yes No	Examples: (pages change all the time, so make sure the links are not broken, which could be a sign that the page is out to date and the information may not be current)
Are any graphs or charts present dated as to when the data was gathered?	Yes No	Data Dates:(data is constantly changing, always make sure data has a date before using it in your research)

Coverage:

Determining whether or not the information presented on a page is complete is especially important for research needs. Since for some research sources may require older, out of date information, being able to tell if the work presented on a page is complete is essential to be able to use as a resource.

Are there any indications that the page is still under construction?	Yes No	Indications:(an incomplete page can mean that not all the information is present. This can lead to inaccurate representation of issues. Try not to use sites under construction)
If the site is using a print resources, is there an indication that it is available in entirety on the web?	Yes No	Print Availability: (Being able to get a hold of a complete print version is helpful to check the authenticity and context of the information provided)
Does it appear that there has been an effort to use sources that are current?	Yes No	Currency: (some resources are out of print, but there are similar sources that are more up to date. Try to use sites that provide updates for sources like dictionaries and thesauruses)

Examples of Criteria Use:

Good Source-http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-z02.html#Head_6

Bad Source-http://www.zoloft-side-effects-lawyer.com/