Evaluating Web Sites
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and How to Tell the Difference
- Authority
- Is the page signed?
- Are author's credentials given?
- Who is the sponsoring agency?
URL can provide clues: .edu, .gov, .org
Reasons for consideration:
- Anyone can publish anything on the Internet.
- Internet bypasses traditional publishing steps of fact checking, peer review, editor's revisions, etc.
- The Web has no standards for information that it carries.
Questionable site:
- No source is given for the information, and the author does not appear to be an authority on the subject.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/6942/oldpage/cancer.htm
Good site:
- This information comes directly from the American Cancer Society, a reputable source.
http://www.cancer.org
- Objectivity
- Purpose (to inform, persuade, sell, entertain?)
- Any bias or hidden agenda?
- Clues to objectivity: authority
presence of ads
Reasons for consideration:
- Internet is often used as a soapbox.
- Internet tends to blur distinctions between advertising, opinion, and facts.
Questionable site:
- The information is probably true but is likely to be biased since it comes from the subject's own personal page.
http://hutchison.senate.gov
Good site:
- Information is provided by a non-partisan organization.
http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0852103
- Content
- Accurate (authoritative source; references cited)
- Appropriate to audience
- Has the needed depth and breadth
- Currency (Is the page dated?)
Date created v. date posted v. date updated
Reasons for consideration:
- Remember that anyone can publish anything on the Internet.
- Standard print indicators of content - like table of contents, preface, publication dates - are often absent on the Internet, so one must examine content directly.
Questionable site:
- Dates for hotel rates are outdated.
http://www.indo.com/travel_agents/harapan/rate.html
Good site:
- Covers many hotels in many cities. Copyright dates at bottom of page indicate ongoing currency.
http://www.travelocity.com
- Ease of Use
- Logical organization
- Intuitive operation
- Do you know where you are or do you get lost in the links?
- User aids: link back to the home page
Site map
Search function for the site
Reasons for consideration:
- Authors do not always take the time to make their site user-friendly.
- Web authors often emphasize what is "cool" over what is useful.
- If a site is hard to use, it will not be used.
Questionable site:
- Page is simply a list of links with no apparent organization; many links only lead to other links instead of to actual information.
http://www2.tntech.edu/history/earlymod.html
Good site:
- Information is organized into self-explanatory categories; page offers a site organization map, an index, and a search function for further assistance.
http://www.state.gov/
- Stability
- Is the site hosted by a stable institution?
- Is older information archived or does it disappear?
- Is it regularly maintained?
No broken links
Regularly updated
- Include email address of Webmaster?
Reasons for consideration:
- Web publishing is quick. It is easier to put something on the Web than to maintain it.
- Nothing is permanent on the Internet.
Questionable site:
- Page is an advertising site dedicated more to online shopping than to providing stable links. Books displayed change according to the whim of advertisers.
http://www.mrfreefree.com/freebies/free_books_literature.html
Good site:
- Collection is sponsored by a major university dedicated to creating and maintaining the service.
The On-Line Books Page
|
-
Take the Survey
Help us make your library experience better.

