Transcript How To Tell If You Are Looking At A Great Website

Is It Worth My Time?
Tips for Evaluating Websites, or
Don’t Believe Everything You Read
The Web is like a flea market. There is much to
choose from but not all is quality. Some sites are
offered by reputable “dealers” but many are not.
Look for a hidden treasure, but watch for sites
which waste your time.
How can you tell if a site is worthwhile?
Sometimes a Web site’s address can indicate the
nature of the site.

Sites from commercial
businesses usually
include “.com.”

Sites from non-profit
organizations often
include “.org.”

Federal government
sites end in “.gov.”


K-12 school sites often
include “k12” in the
address, and college
and university sites
often include “.edu.”
A site with a tilde (~) in
the address usually
indicates that this page
is maintained or created
by an individual, rather
than representing an
organization, a
business, or a school.
Criteria for Website Evaluation
Five questions to ask about the website
WHO
WHEN
WHAT
WHY
WHERE
WHO?

Who wrote the page?


What are the qualifications?


Are sources identified and given credit?
Is there a biography of the author?
Can you contact the author?
REMEMBER…
Personal sites may be more likely to present opinion than fact.
WHAT?

What is the purpose of the site?


Educate, entertain, persuade, sell…
Is it clear?
Easy to read
 Uncluttered


Is it unbiased?


Gender, racial, religious…
Is it easy to use and effective?

Searchable
WHERE?

Where does the information come from?


Citations
Where can I go for more information?
Links
 Bibliography

WHEN?
When was the site created?
 When was it updated?
 Is the information current?

WHY?

Why is this information useful for me?
Current
 Accurate


Why should I use this page?
Quality
 Content
 Links

Evaluate Some of These Sites
California’s Velcro Crop Under Challenge
 Dog Island Free Forever
 Facts About the Civil War
 Facts About Beluga Whales
 The Jackalope Conspiracy

DISCUS and
Accent On-line Card Catalog:
They Are Worth Your Time!