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Evaluating Websites
Evaluating Websites
Why is evaluation necessary?
While the internet provides users with access to seemingly limitless information at their fingertips, the quality of the information provided by websites is not regulated or guaranteed to be of value. Many websites are made in order to make money for a company or provide customers with more information on their products. Still other websites have the purpose to entertain users and have the potential to mislead users or include false information. Many companies make an effort to ensure the information on their website is of the highest quality, but it is not required to meet this standard to publish a website. For this reason, and to ensure that student users are prepared to choose the best possible sources for whatever their information need, it is necessary to evaluate websites for their credibility when using them for academic purposes. When using news sources, it is necessary to ensure the information is not fake news, sensational, or overly biased.
What features make a website more reliable?
- Author or publisher clearly identified
- Author credibility is easily accessible
- Date clearly identified for the page or full website
- About Us page is well developed
- Limited to no advertisements
- .ORG/.GOV/.EDU Domain Name
- Website appears to be designed by a professional
- Clearly defined sources or references
What are bad website red flags?
- Lack of date
- Lack of author or publisher
- Many advertisements or persistent ads
- Any inappropriate content
- Malfunctioning links
- .COM or .NET Domain name
- Amateur appearance or design
- Obvious bias or persuasive content
Domain Name - .ORG = Organization .EDU = Education .COM = Commercial .NET = Network .GOV = Government
While some domain names are better than others (.org /.gov /.edu), most websites fall into the .com or .net categories. When using a .com or .net website, ensure that the purpose to sell products is not the only focus of the site and determine the level of bias the website might have before using the information.
Author Credibility - Do you recognize the author? Do they have a bio, which tells you about their experience with the topic? Can you search their name and find more information about their professional background? If you cannot establish a background for the author or they are not bound by their profession to provide reliable information (journalists) it is likely you can find a higher quality source.
Recognizable Organization - Often websites do not disclose who authors the various pages of a website. If there is no author, a reliable website must have a publisher instead. Utilizing resources from a recognizable organization ensures that the company is held to a higher public standard to provide quality information. Examples: PBS, NASA, Time, New York Times
Purpose or P.O.V. - Inform, persuade, entertain, sell are the four major purposes for websites. When using websites for research a informational purpose is key. However, when researching controversial topics or social justice issues, persuasive websites might also be helpful resources. It is highly for websites with a purpose of selling or entertaining the user would be of much for academic research.
Age - While this feature greatly depends on the topic researched, the age of the website is also a great indication for its reliability. When researching topics like cancer, it is better for the websites to be as current as possible since new information on cancer and treatments are always changing. However, when researching topics like ancient Egypt, older websites likely will have similar information to current websites. In either case, ensure that the information is presented well and ask for help from your teacher or your Teacher Librarian if you are unsure.
Advertisements - Ads are general gathered from a users past search history and tailored to show products which the user is likely to have an interest. However, the reliability of a website can quickly be determined by the type of advertisement allowed within the content. Persistent ads, or ads which scroll with the user or pop-up over the desired information, let the user know that the primary purpose is to sell products than lead users to helpful information. In all cases, inappropriate ads should indicate the source is NOT reliable for academic use.
Sources - If the website or article provides a list of resources for further information or a list of sources used to create the information it makes the credibility of the author better than if they were not provided. Just as students who cite their work are regarded as better writers and researchers, websites can hold themselves to the same standard. Sadly, many websites do not include this feature.
Reflection:
Reflection:
- When might using a disreputable website be acceptable or encouraged?
Please continue to the Wikis section of this lesson.
Works Cited
"Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet." 2018. Know Your Meme, 2019, i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/201/185/19b.jpg. Accessed 13 Feb. 2019.
"The Source Credibility Guide Poster." Turnitin, 9 Jan. 2019, www.turnitin.com/lessons/source-credibility-guide. Accessed 13 Feb. 2019.
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