Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages

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Five criteria for evaluating Web pages
Evaluation of Web documents 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? 2. Authority of Web Documents Who published the document Authority and is it separate from the "Webmaster?" What credentials are listed for the authors)? Check the domain of the Where is the document published? Check URL document, what institution domain. publishes this document? Does the publisher list his or her qualifications? 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? 4. Currency of Web Documents When was it produced? When was it updated? How up-to-date are the links (if any)? Objectivity Determine if page is a mask for advertising; if so information might be biased. View any Web page as you would an infommercial on television. Ask yourself: why was this written and for whom? Currency How many dead links are on the page? Are the links current or updated regularly? Is the information on the page outdated? Accuracy Make sure author provides e-mail or a contact address/phone number. Know the distinction between author and Webmaster. How to interpret the basics

5. Coverage of the Web Documents Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents' themes? Is it all images or a balance of text and images? Is the information presented cited correctly? Putting it all together

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?

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 . . . You may have a Web page that could be of value to your research!

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

Converted to HTML by Paul McMillin, September 18, 1998 Minor textual corrections: 10 May 2010 [MOE] Section: services_research_guides
Source URL: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webcrit.html