Tips for Evaluating Websites:

• Accessibility, Availability. How accessible is the information? How easy is it to find and use? How much time does it take to access the resource? How stable is the information resource or its provider? Will it be available again if you need it at a later date? Be aware that some Internet information can be very transitory or short lived. Also, does the site allow for reasonable download time?

• Are facts documented? Does the information contained in the site confirm information from other sources? Are the other sources clearly cited and/or linked?

• Authoritativeness, Scholarship. Who wrote, created or published the information? How easy is it to clearly identify the authority of the authors? Does the site provide contact information for the author, especially a link to his/her e-mail?

• Balance, Objectivity, Bias, Accuracy. What is the intended purpose of the information? Why is the information being presented, or made available? What is the perspective of the publication(s)? Is the information presented accurately and objectively?

• Ease of navigation. Does a site leave you buried deep somewhere without any hope of getting back to another of its pages? A site should be easy to explore and review.

• Links. Are links relevant and appropriate? Be sure to investigate additional sites on the topic before assuming that the linked sites are the best available. Also, are links up to date or do they point to sites which no longer exist or have moved (i.e., broken links

• Quality. Evaluate the content: What kind of information is it? Is it facts or opinions? Is there any documentation? Does the information support or refute your position? Are any major findings presented? How does the information compare to other related sources? Most important, is the text well written?

• Timeliness/Dates. When was the information produced? Is the information too old, or too new for the needs of your research?

• Usefulness. How useful is the information for your particular need? If you can’t identify it’s usefulness immediately, it should be considered a low priority to save, print or read online.

© 2024 J. O'Toole 

MCSD