Erie Community College, State University of New York

Evaluating Websites

Who:  

• Who wrote the information? 
                          Are the author's name and position easily identifiable?  
                          What are his background and credentials?

• Is the author affiliated with a particular group or institution?

• Can the author be readily contacted?

What:

• What is the purpose of the information?
                          Is the author making an argument for personal gain, offering an opinion, giving a factual
                                  report, or relaying personal observation?
   

• What type of information is included? 
                          Is it scholarly or educational, popular or entertaining, or an advertisement?
  
   

• Is the information accurate and credible?
                          Is the information up to date, factual, balanced, detailed, and complete?
                          Does it agree with information you found in other sources?
  
   

•  Is the information biased?  
                          Does it present both sides of a problem?
                          Is there a conflict of interest?
   

•  What is the tone of the work?
                          Is the author rational or emotional, angry, critical or spiteful?
    
   

•   Is this the original source?
                          Where was the information originally published? 
  
   

•  Did the author get this information from original research or experiments or observations or interviews?
                               Does the author provide references to locate other sources he used? 
   

• What is the scope of the information?  
                          What topics are covered?
                          What time periods or aspects are covered?
   

• In what style is the information written? 
                          Is it presented in a clear, reasonable and orderly fashion?
   

•  Are the grammar and spelling correct?
   

•  Are the graphics useful? 

Where:

• Where do the links lead you? Are they navigable? 

When:    

• When was the information written?  When was it last updated? 

Why:

• Why is this information useful to you?
   

•  What conclusions can you draw from the information on this Web site?

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Adapted by Sue Basile, Librarian, Erie Community College
12/99
with permission from:
Barbara Hightower, Reference/Instruction Librarian, Cornette Library, West Texas A&M University 

Evaluating Internet Resources  (SUNY Albany)

Evaluating Web Pages  (Beaufort Library-University of South Carolina)

Evaluating World Wide Web Sites  (Iona)