Cynthia Vaskis

SLM521 Spring 2004

Evaluating Websites

4/25/04

File: e7webev1.htm

Evaluating Web Sites

Title: The White House web page

URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Evaluation questions	Yes	No	Assumed true based upon source	Can’t be verified
1. Accuracy - How accurate is the information and can it be verified?
How reliable is the source and can it be verified for any factual statements?	X
Is the information free from errors?			X
Does it mention any editors or fact checkers?		X
2. Authority - Can you identify who is responsible for the web page and are they reputable?
Can you identify the author from the page and are they qualified to write on the subject?	X
Can you identify the publishers and are they reputable?	X
Can you verify who is responsible for the web page contents either through a link to a page describing their goals, or a phone number or postal address to contact (not just an email address)?			X
Does the page claim to have official approval of an organization and does it mention the national or local chapter?	X
Does it state the organization’s name as copyright holder?	X
3. Objectivity - Is the Web page’s information been biased, without clearly stated goals, and used for persuasive advertising?
Is the information given by the author or organization claiming responsibility for the content unbiased?			X
Is the information complete and void of misleading or incomplete data by excluding opposing views?			X
Is the information void of persuasion?			X
Are the goals and aims or the presenter clearly stated?	X
4. Currency - How current is the page (first written, placed on Web, last revised)?
Is the content of the Web page up-to-date and the publication date clearly noted?			X
Is it clear which date(s) are listed (first created, first placed on the Web, last revised)?				X
5. Coverage - Has the work’s topic been completely and clearly discussed for its purposes?
What topics are discussed and are they appropriate for the work?	X
Can you tell if the topics have been clearly and completely discussed and to what depth of understanding about the topic?	X
In other words, does the work not express superficial opinions and it uses experts’ knowledge about the subjects?			X
Are the views expressed in the work well supported by other documentation or organizational validation?	X
6. Copying Strategy - Has the copied version, or a hypertext URL link, invalidated the work’s original intention?
Has the Web page been copied accurately and still presents its intended purpose?	X
If a search engine was used to retrieve the document, is it valid and not viewed out of context from its original work?	X
Check the URL address for the ending. Does it indicate what type of organization they are claiming to be?	X
If a hypertext link created was used to get this document, does it still represent the work’s original intention?	X
If the work was used for marketing purposes, does it still represent the work’s original intention?	X
Can you return to the original source from the Web page being viewed to verify its intention and validity?	X
7. Challenge - Has the original information been left unaltered and not taken out-of-context from its source?
Is the work unaltered from the original and not affected by software requirements limiting its completeness, altering its appearance, or taking it out-of-context?			X
Can you refer back to the original source (not moved or diasappeared)?	X
Can you verify that the advertising and informational parts are combined by the same person or organization?		X
Has the information, entertainment, and advertising components of the “infomercial” been appropriately blended without misrepresenting any of its original works?	X
Can you determine the stability of your source from the search process?	X
Has the information been left uncut and unaltered from the original work?			X
Can you verify the information’s validity from other sources?			X
8. How to Apply the Strategies	Total below	Total below	Total below	Total below
First, identify the type of page you are viewing (research, news, commercials, informative, entertainment, medical information, business advertising).	government
Second, use your checklist to ask appropriate questions.	done
Third, based on the number of “yes” or “no” answers from the appropriate checklist questions, give your Web page a quality rating (poor, fair, good, excellent).	18	2	10	1
Conclusion about Web page Quality (enter your rating in any column)	Poor to Fair

Final Evaluation Comments: Can’t verify sources or find who created the Web page although it was made for George Bush. There is no phone number to call to speak to the author and many answers were “assumed to be true” with no real way to validate them. They did have links to the people who wrote the articles and had their credentials listed there as well.