Webpage Evaluation for Conducting Formal Research:

How to Attain the Highest Quality Information on the Internet

Websites such as Wikipedia are wonderful tools when we have a sudden curiosity and desire a quick answer. But when we need to conduct more formalized academic research, we need to be able to count on our sources. We cannot trust just any Joe Schmo who happens to have created or contributed to a website. Below are some guiding questions to ask yourself as you search the web for valuable research material. Perhaps if you were an advanced scholar in your subject area, you could, off the top of your head, evaluate whether Joe Schmo’s slightly “sketchy” website actually has anything intelligent to offer to the world. But you are not an advanced scholar. Thus, it is important for you to use a systematic method of evaluating the websites you encounter. These guidelines are universal and can certainly be put to use for other subject areas outside of English.

GUIDING QUESTIONS	Web Page #1 URL: _______________________________	Web Page #2 URL: ________________________________
*GENERAL PROFESSIONALISM*
What is the title of the webpage?
§ Does the title sound professional in nature?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
In general, is the layout pleasing to the eye?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ What elements are well placed or organized?
§ What elements are overly distracting, if any?
Is the page easy to navigate?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ Does it have a table of contents or a menu bar with links?	□ Table of Contents □ Menu Bar	□ Table of Contents □ Menu Bar
Does the website document its sources?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ If so, to what types of source material does the website refer?
§ Do the website’s sources include reliable published and/or peer reviewed materials?	□ Yes □ No Example: ____________________________	□ Yes □ No Example: ____________________________
Does the website provide other suggested site links?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ Do the links still work?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ Do the sites to which it links seem to have potential/be of valuable quality?	□ Yes □ No Example: ____________________________	□ Yes □ No Example: ____________________________
*AUTHORSHIP*
Is the website published by a group or organization – or – is it someone’s personal page? (Look first at the page’s headings and any copyright information that may be contained at the bottom of the page.)	□ Group/Organization □ Personal □ Unclear	□ Group/Organization □ Personal □ Unclear
Not obvious? Check for clues.
§ Does the URL end in “.org,” “.net,” “edu,” or “.gov”? If so you should be dealing with an organization’s web page.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ Does the URL end in “.com”? If so you are either dealing with a commercial organization’s site or someone’s personal website.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
o Does the website contain a personal name as a part of the URL following a tilde (~) or a percent sign (%)? If so, it is a personal website even if it is posted on a commercial website server. In all likelihood, it should be rejected.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
Select either the Group/Organization or Personal Website track, based on you findings above.
§ *Group/Organization Website*
o What is the name of the group/organization?
o Is the group or organization legitimate?	□ Yes □ No □ Unclear	□ Yes □ No □ Unclear
o Never heard of the group/organization? Conduct a quick Google search of the group name. List any websites that make mention of the group. Reject any websites for which the group seems fishy and cannot be verified. Websites of Educational or Governmental agencies tend to be safe reliable bets.
o Does it make logical sense that this particular organization would be posting information about this particular topic?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
o Does the publishing organization correspond to the name of the site?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ *Personal Website*
o Is a personal page even an appropriate source given the nature of the task/project?	□ Yes □ No Why/Why Not? _______________________	□ Yes □ No Why/Why Not? _______________________
o Can you locate information about the author of this website? If the answer is no, you should reject the website.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ If the answer is yes, what is the author’s name?
§ What are the author’s qualifications and credentials?
· Can his/her credentials be verified? Try doing a quick Google search of the person if need be.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
*TIMELINESS*
§ What is the date when the website was last updated?
o *Given the topic/assignment, is it essential that you have the* most current information possible?**	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
o Is the webpage outdated? If the web page seems to have been utterly abandoned, nix it from your list of sources, regardless of whether or not you need the most up-to-date information.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ Does it seem like the website is at least a semi-permanent fixture on the web?	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
o Does the web page showcase a range of years for which there has been a copyright on the material? If so, list the range here.

*EXAMPLES* Webpage Evaluation for Conducting Formal Research:

How to Attain the Highest Quality Information on the Internet *EXAMPLES*

GUIDING QUESTIONS	Web Page #1 URL: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/155	Web Page #2 URL: http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/emily.htm
*GENERAL PROFESSIONALISM*
What is the title of the webpage?	“Emily Dickinson”	“Erin’s Emily Dickinson Page” “Emily Dickinson”
§ Does the title sound professional in nature?	x Yes □ No	□ Yes x No
In general, is the layout pleasing to the eye?	x Yes □ No	□ Yes x No
§ What elements are well placed or organized?	List of poems with links on right side, Related links on left side	N/A
§ What elements are overly distracting, if any?	Links are not quite to the point of being overwhelming	Extremely plain, lack of proximity between objects
Is the page easy to navigate?	x Yes □ No	x Yes □ No
§ Does it have a table of contents or a menu bar with links?	□ Table of Contents x Menu Bar (more than 1)	x Table of Contents □ Menu Bar
Does the website document its sources?	x Yes, though not clearly □ No	□ Yes x No
§ If so, to what types of source material does the website refer?	Collections of Emily Dickinson’s poetry
§ Do the website’s sources include reliable published and/or peer reviewed materials?	x Yes □ No Example: The Manuscript Books of Emily Dickinson (Belknap Press, 1981)	□ Yes x No Example: ____________________________
Does the website provide other suggested site links?	x Yes □ No	x Yes □ No
§ Do the links still work?	x Yes □ No	□ Yes x No
§ Do the sites to which it links seem to have potential/be of valuable quality?	x Yes □ No Example: Website of Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, “Today in Literature”	x Yes (some, if you can find them) □ No Example: ____________________________
*AUTHORSHIP*
Is the website published by a group or organization – or – is it someone’s personal page? (Look first at the page’s headings and any copyright information that may be contained at the bottom of the page.)	x Group/Organization □ Personal □ Unclear	□ Group/Organization x Personal □ Unclear
Not obvious? Check for clues.
§ Does the URL end in “.org,” “.net,” “edu,” or “.gov”? If so you should be dealing with an organization’s web page.	x Yes, “.org” □ No	□ Yes x No
§ Does the URL end in “.com”? If so you are either dealing with a commercial organization’s site or someone’s personal website.	□ Yes x No	x Yes □ No
o Does the website contain a personal name as a part of the URL following a tilde (~) or a percent sign (%)? If so, it is a personal website even if it is posted on a commercial website server. In all likelihood, it should be rejected.	□ Yes □ No	x Yes □ No
Select either the Group/Organization or Personal Website track, based on you findings above.
§ *Group/Organization Website*
o What is the name of the group/organization?	The Academy of American Poets
o Is the group or organization legitimate?	x Yes □ No □ Unclear	□ Yes □ No □ Unclear
o Never heard of the group/organization? Conduct a quick Google search of the group name. List any websites that make mention of the group. Reject any websites for which the group seems fishy and cannot be verified. Websites of Educational or Governmental agencies tend to be safe reliable bets.	Wikipedia Flickr Poetry.org Poets.com
o Does it make logical sense that this particular organization would be posting information about this particular topic?	x Yes □ No	□ Yes □ No
o Does the publishing organization correspond to the name of the site?	x Yes, somewhat □ No	□ Yes □ No
§ *Personal Website*
o Is a personal page even an appropriate source given the nature of the task/project?	□ Yes □ No Why/Why Not? _______________________	x Yes □ No Why/Why Not? Fairly informal author presentation
o Can you locate information about the author of this website? If the answer is no, you should reject the website.	□ Yes □ No	x Yes □ No
§ If the answer is yes, what is the author’s name?		Erin erin@cswnet.com
§ What are the author’s qualifications and credentials?		None given
· Can his/her credentials be verified? Try doing a quick Google search of the person if need be.	□ Yes □ No	□ Yes x No
*TIMELINESS*
§ What is the date when the website was last updated?	2009	Unknown
o *Given the topic/assignment, is it essential that you have the* most current information possible?**	□ Yes x No	□ Yes x No
o Is the webpage outdated? If the web page seems to have been utterly abandoned, nix it from your list of sources, regardless of whether or not you need the most up-to-date information.	□ Yes x No	x Yes □ No
§ Does it seem like the website is at least a semi-permanent fixture on the web?	x Yes □ No	x Yes □ No
o Does the web page showcase a range of years for which there has been a copyright on the material? If so, list the range here.	1997-2009 (12 years!)	Been around for years but not updated, No dates provided