Evaluating Web Pages

Because anyone with a little computer knowledge and access to a server can create a Web page, it's more important than ever to evaluate Web sites, especially if you want to incorporate information from a Web site into a paper or some other type of scholarly work. The quality of your work depends on the quality of information you use.

Evaluate Web sites by asking yourself the following questions:

Authority:
  • Who is the author? Are his or her credentials stated? How knowledgeable is he or she?
  • Who is the sponsor of the site? Is there an organization affiliated with the site or its author? Can you find out more about their purposes and intent? [Hints: examine the URL - is it .org? .com? .edu?; go up a few levels to learn more about the host organization.]

Content:
  • What is the scope of this resource?
  • Is the material free of error (typos, spelling, grammar, etc.)?
  • Are the sources for factual information in the material clearly identified? Can you verify them?
  • Is any bias present?
  • To what extent is the material meant to persuade? Is this clearly stated?
  • Is the page an advertisement or some other kind of promotional material?
  • Would any surrounding advertising influence the material's contents or results? Is the advertising clearly separate from the resource contents?
  • Who is the intended audience?

Currency:
  • When was the site last updated?
  • Does it rely on the most current available information? If not, is the reason clearly stated and justified?

Examples & Exercises

The views expressed on the sites linked to from this page are not endorsed by the BGSU University Libraries.

Use the examples below to practice your evaluation skills.

Water Quality

Water Where You Live
Tough to Swallow
American Tap Water Fact Sheets

Charter Schools

Academic Charter School Programs
On Thin Ice from Public Agenda Online
NEA: Charter Schools

Autism

TEACCH - Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped CHildren
Cure Autism Now Foundation

Resources for Teachers

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
Mark Twain and American Humor
The K-12 Connection

Holocaust

The "Problem of the Gas Chambers"
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Holocaust Denial on Trial

Marijuana

Marijuana: Facts for Teens
Marijuana Health Mythology

Gulf War
Gulflink
Gulf War Veteran's Resource Pages

More Sites

Clones R Us
Godsend Institute: Fertility Clinic and Practice
Lacuna Inc.--Dr. Howard Mierzwiak
National Lawn Care Now!
Minnesota Coconut Growers
Dihydrogen Monoxide Homepage
The Dangers of Bread
Mankato, Minnesota Home Page
TIP: Many professional organizations link to web pages they have reviewed and selected. Find out which professional organizations are affiliated with your discipline and visit their web sites.

Looking for sites that have undergone some evaluation or that have been compiled by experts? Try starting with one of these sites:

Librarians' Index to the Internet

  • Is a searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 10,000 Internet sites
  • Sites are selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries.
  • Visit this site when looking for more information aimed at general audience.
Scout Report's Archives
  • Links to sites selected and reviewed by an editorial staff.
  • Contains over 13,000 critically evaluated sites, more than 9,000 of which have been cataloged, classified, and arranged according to Library of Congress classification.
  • Visit this site when looking for more information aimed at an academic audience. The site is intended for higher education.
Carol Singer's Bookmarks
  • BGSU Reference Librarian Carol Singer developed this comprehensive list of frequently used web sites.
  • Use this listing when you are looking for good starting points.
Argus Clearinghouse
  • This site is a collection of evaluated resources arranged by topic.
  • Sites are reviewed and considered for inclusion by librarians or graduate library science students.
  • Students, educators and researchers are its target audience.

Practice Exercise

Use the Evaluation Checklist to critique some of the web sites listed on this page or a web site you want to use in a research project.

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