Need Help Evaluating Web Pages?

Erica Gamble August 2010

Evaluating Web Pages

The Internet offers people a surplus of information.

You can evaluate Web Pages with these criteria:

Accuracy Authority Objectivity Currency Coverage

If the web page meets the evaluation criteria described in the following slides, you may have a reliable and relevant resource for your research! When in doubt, ask a librarian!

Accuracy

Does the author of the web page provide contact information? What is the purpose of the web page? Why was this web page produced? Is the creator of this web page qualified to compose this document?

Author Webmaster

Accuracy vs Precision Illustration. Online image. High Precision Transcontinental Traverse. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. United States Department of Commerce, 2007. Web. http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/magazine/tct/accuracy_vs_precision.html .

Authority

Who published the document?

Look for the links About Us, Philosophy, Background, Biography, etc.

Check the publishers standards for publication (if listed). Check the web page domain.

Objectivity

Does the Web Page state goals and/or objectives?

Determine why and for whom the page was written.

Are specific advice or opinions stated by the author?

Is the Web Page advertising or selling a product or service?

Balance. Online Image. Photo Dictionary, 2011. Web. http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/phrase/2775/balance.html.

Currency

When was the web page produced? When was the web page last updated?

Look for the Last Updated information on the web page.

How current are the links on the web page?

Coverage

Are the links on the web page evaluated? Is the web page a balance of textual and visual information? Is the information provided by the web page correctly cited? Is the information on the web page free? Or is there a fee to obtain the information?

Works Cited and Consulted

* Barker, Joe. Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask. Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial. Teaching Library, University of California Berkeley, 2010. Web. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html. * Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages. Reprinted from Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching Undergrads WEB Evaluation: A Guide for Library Instruction." C&RL News (July/August 1998): 522-523. Web. http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webcrit.html. Hacker, Diana and Barbara Fister. Research and Documentation Online 5th Edition. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 1998. Web. http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/. Lipera, Roger. Identify the Purpose of the Site. Basic Web Design and Layout. Interactive Media Center, University at Albany Libraries, n.d. Web. http://library.albany.edu/imc/webdesign/#purpose. Photo Dictionary. 2011. http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/. Reitz, Joan M. Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science. 2010. Web. http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_h.aspx