Evaluating Web Resources
Why Evaluate Web Resources?
There are several reasons to evaluate web resources. Any source you utilize should be evaluated. Bias is inherent in any document. Furthermore, the "value" of a piece of information really depends on its appropriateness to the person seek the information.
The web, in particular, needs to be evaluated because much of the information on the web is anonymous and not subject to the review process print material goes through. In basic terms, web information has not been filtered. Web pages can be published by any person so they range in quality, currency, reliablity and authority. In addition, search engines do not evaluate the quality of a given web page. Therefore, web users must critically analyze their sources.
Criteria for Evaluating Web Resources
Purpose
- Consider who the page was created for based on its content, tone and style
- Does the intended audience mesh with your needs?
- What is the goal of the page? Is it meant to inform, sell a product, persaude to a viewpoint or entertain?
- Does the page include advertising?
- Where does the web page reside? On a the website of a corporation, an educational institution, the government, or is this an individual's personal webpage(s)
Source
Authorship (Authority)
Authorship relates to who created the web page you are looking at. When examining authorship you should consider the following questions:
- Is the web page signed?
- Is the author a well-known name within his or her field of expertise?
- Does the document you are looking provide or link to biographical information, including the author's position, institutional affliation, and credentials?
- Did the document you are looking at come from another verifiable source? Do other credible site link to the document?
Publishing Body
This aspect of a web page is important
- Is the location of the site and/or the site's sponsor appropriate to the
materials?
Examples:- .edu for educational institutions
- .gov for government resources
- .com for commerially sponsored sites
- .org for organizations (often non-profit organizations)
- Country urls (.uk .ca .au)
- Does the page reside on a personal site or is it part of an official Website for an organization?
- Does the document indicate that it is part of an academic or scholarly website?
Content
- Are sources of information clearly stated?
- For a research paper, is data that was gathered and the methodology used to gather and interpret it outlined in the page?
- Can background information and "facts" be verified via other sources?
- Is the writing style appropriate for the audience? Are there spelling and grammar errors?
- Does the information in the web page contradict your other sources?
- Does the site have a content created date?
- Does the page have a "last revised" date?
- Is the information on the page still useful or is it out of date?
- Does the document include a bibliography?
- Does the author make reference to other works?
- Does the author discuss theories, techniques, and schools of thought related to his or her subject?
- Are the author's references and links relevant and appropriate?
Style and Functionality
- Is the writing style appropriate for the intended audience?
- Is the site easy to navigate?
- Clearly labeled Back, Home, Go to Top links
- Internal indexing on lengthy pages
- Links to other web sites work
- Site laid out clear and logically with well organized subsections
Audience
Objectivity
When examining objectivity you want to determine the creator's point of view or bias. Information is rarely neutral. Each writer uses information to prove his or her point. Therefore, it is important to examine the following:
Accuracy / Verifiablity
Web sources are not the same as library resources because typically, information on the web is not reviewed or edited. Therefore, it is essential to make sure the information you use from the web is accurate.
Coverage and Comprehensiveness
Coverage and Comprehensiveness refers to the breadth and depth of the information on the web page. Often the site map can give you a good idea to how much information is presented and how detailed that information is. Coverage and comprehensiveness should be considered in relation to your individual research needs. You may not need detailed information for an introductory paper. Coverage and comprehensiveness is also related to objectivity. Ask yourself if all points of view for a given topic are covered.
Currency
Currency relate to how timely the information is. For some topics this is more important that others. Topics such as technology, and current events require current information. In terms of the web, currency is important because you would like to know how rigourously a page is being maintained and how often it is update. Examine the following to determine the currency of a site.
Referral to other works
This criteria refers to whether or not the "author" of the page is familar with other works related to a given topic, the schools of thought within a given discipline, and that disciplines practices.
It is important to examine the style and functionality of the page as an aspect of quality of the document. To assess this area consider:
Links to More Information
For more in depth information on Evaluating Web Resources see the following:
- Casting your Net 2nd ed. (2001) H. Eric Branscomb
- This book provides excellent information to students on how to do research using the Internet.
- Web Research: Selecting Evaluating and Citing (2002) Marie L. Radford, Susan B. Barnes, Linda R. Barr
- This book provides excellent information to students on how to do research using the Internet.