Evaluating the Quality of Internet/Web Sites

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Scope

• Anybody can put anything on the Internet, on a Web site.
• Consequently, there is a tremendous variance in the quality of information.
• Many Web pages/Web sites have poor, erroneous, outdated, or, even, intentionally misleading information.
• Consquently, it is the responsibility of the searcher to validate the quality of Web pages and the information that they contain.

Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites

• Who put up the Web site.
  • What are their credentials relevant to the content of the Web site.
  • Are they associated with any organization that would have a bias on the subject.
• Is there any explicit bias on the Web site?
  • For example, you know that political party Web sites will have a bias.
• What is the domain type?
  • For example. a ".gov" site is a federal site, and you would expect responsible information from the government (no joke).
  • Most ".org" sites are not-for-profit organizations, but many organizations have politicial, social, economic, and other biases.
  • Anyone can have a ".com" domain.
• Is the Web site and Web page up to date?
  • Out-of-date information sucks, particularly when it has medical or legal importance.
• Are there citations to references for the information on the Web site?
  • If quality sources are cited, the information on the Web site is likely to be of better quality.
• Are the links on the Web pages to other relevant, quality sites?
• Is the content itself contain reasonably sophisticated and appropriate, correctly spelled, and grammatically correct?
• Do high-quality Web sites link to the site being reviewed.

Web Sites with Tips and Methods for Evaluating Information on the Internet

The following are but a few of the many Web pages that provide guidance and criteria for evaluating the quality of information on Web site.

• Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites
  • http://www.evalutech.sreb.org/criteria/web.asp
• Evaluating Web Resources
  • http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm

 

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