• commercial
• informative
• educational
• entertaining
• persuasive
• personal
• institutional

What does the URL (Web address) say about the producer of the web site, and its purpose?

• .gov Government agency: www.whitehouse.gov
• .net Internet Service Provider: www.whitehouse.net
• .edu Higher education - www.lesley.edu. Other educational sites may appear with different domain names: www.whitehouse.gov/kids
• .mil Military site- www.navy.mil/
• .org Organization; may be charitable, religious, or a lobbying group - http://www.rtda.org/news.html.

Five criteria for evaluating Web pages

1. Accuracy of Web Documents

• Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?
• What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced?
• Is this person qualified to write this document?

How to interpret

Accuracy

• Make sure author provides e-mail or a contact address/phone number.
• Know the distinction between author and Webmaster.

2. Authority of Web Documents

• Who published the document and is it separate from the "Webmaster?"
• Check the domain of the document, what institution publishes this document?
• Does the publisher list his or her qualifications?

How to interpret

Authority

• What credentials are listed for the author(s)?
• "About us", "Philosophy", "Background"

3. Objectivity of Web Documents

• What goals/objectives does this page meet?
• How detailed is the information?
• What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?

How to interpret

Objectivity

• Determine if page is a mask for advertising; if so information might be biased.
• View any Web page as you would an infomercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom?

4. Currency of Web Documents

• When was it produced?
• When was it updated?
• How up-to-date are the links (if any)?

How to interpret

Currency

• How many dead links are on the page?
• Are the links current or updated regularly?
• Is the information on the page outdated?

5. Coverage of the Web Documents

• Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents' theme?
• Is it all images or a balance of text and images?
• Is the information presented cited correctly?

How to interpret

Coverage

• If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don't have the software?
• Is it free or is there a fee, to obtain the information?

Is there an option for text only, or frames, or a suggested browser for better viewing?

Putting it all together

• Accuracy. If your page lists the author and institution that published the page and provides a way of contacting him/her and . . .
• Authority. If your page lists the author credentials and its domain is preferred (.edu, .gov, .org, or .net), and, . .
• Objectivity. If your page provides accurate information with limited advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and . . .
• Currency. If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and . . .
• Coverage. If you can view the information properly--not limited to fees, browser technology, or software requirement, then . . .

If it meets this criteria you may have a Web page that could be of value to your research!

Reference:

Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction." C&RL News (July/August 1998): 522-523.

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