Evaluating Internet Resources

Five points to consider when looking at a web page:

1. Accuracy of Web Resources
   • Almost anyone can publish on the Web
   • Most Web resources not verified by editors and/or fact checkers
   • Web standards to ensure accuracy have yet to be fully developed
2. Authority of Web Resources
   • Often difficult to determine authorship of Web sources
   • If author's name is listed, his/her qualifications frequently absent
   • Publisher responsibility often not indicated
3. Objectivity of Web Resources
   • Goals/aims of persons or groups presenting material often not clearly stated
   • Web often functions as a virtual soapbox
4. Currency of Web Resources
   • Dates not always included on Web pages
   • If included, a date may have various meanings:
     • Date information first written
     • Date information placed on Web
     • Date information last revised
5. Coverage of Web Resources
   • Web coverage may differ from print coverage
   • Often hard to determine extent of Web coverage

• Thinking Critically about WWW resources
• Evaluating Web Resources: an extremely useful collection of materials from Widener University.
• "Testing the Surf: Criteria for Evaluating Internet Information Resources", an article by Alistair G. Smith in the PACS Review
• Evaluating Web Sites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist, from the Institute for Academic Technology. Includes a checklist of questions for evaluating websites.

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