5 Ws

The 5 Ws test is a tool to check the reliability of an online source by asking yourself 5 questions:

• WHO
• WHAT
• WHEN
• WHERE
• WHY

WHO

• Who wrote the pages?
• Are they an expert?
• Is the biography of the author included?
• How can I find out more about the author?

WHAT

• What does the author say is the purpose of the site?
• What else might the author have in mind for the site?
• What makes the site easy to use?
• What information is included?
• Does this information differ from other sites?

WHEN

• When was the site created?
• When was the site last updated?
• How up to date is the information used?

WHERE

• Where does the information come from?
• Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor of the site?

WHY

• Why is this information useful for my purpose?
• Why should I use this information?
• Why is this page better than another?