Website Evaluation

“What’s for sale on the internet is YOU.  Your eyes on their content, your minds on their ideas, your money for their products.”

-MRS GRU

Why should you evaluate webpages?

Anyone with a computer can put up a webpage. You do not know who they are, or if they are qualified to talk about the subject you are researching. Before you use a website, look to see who is sponsoring the page. If you can't figure out who has produced it, don't use it.

Funny Sites:

• Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

• The First Page of the Internet

• Male Pregnancy

• This Page Intentionally Left Blank

• Mankato, Minnesota

• Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

• The Republic of Cascadia

• NinjaBurger

• Official Jackelope Website

• Legends of America:  Jackalopes of Wyoming

Scary Sites (By "scary" I mean really misleading if used for a report):

• Dihydrogen Monoxide

• All About Explorers

• Institute for Historical Review

• The Flat Earth Society

Summary of The CARS Checklist for Research Source Evaluation

Credibility

trustworthy source, author’s credentials, evidence of quality control, known or respected authority, organizational support. Goal: an authoritative source, a source that supplies some good evidence that allows you to trust it.

Accuracy

up to date, factual, detailed, exact, comprehensive, audience and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy. Goal: a source that is correct today (not yesterday), a source that gives the whole truth.

Reasonableness

fair, balanced, objective, reasoned, no conflict of interest, absence of fallacies or slanted tone. Goal: a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably, concerned with the truth.

Support

listed sources, contact information, available corroboration, claims supported, documentation supplied. Goal: a source that provides convincing evidence for the claims made, a source you can triangulate (find at least two other sources that support it).

The bottom line is be careful when using the World Wide Web.

Online Safetey Tips

Media Awareness Network Test your Website judgement with this interactive tutorial.

More Information:

Evaluating Web Pages (UC Berkeley)

Bottom Line: Is the web page as good (or better than) what you could find in journal articles or other published literature that is not on the free, general web?

Resources:

• 21st Century Information Fluency

• Kathy Schrock's Guide

• McDougal Littel Class Zone

• Website Evaluation Video

• Snopes is that e-mail a hoax?

• What is Clickbait

• Museum of Hoaxes Blog