| Links
to Evaluation Tools |
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W5 for W3:
Who, What, When Where, and Why of evaluating
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Checklist for Evaluating
Web Sites |
Finding
reliable information requires strategy and flexibility. Evaluating
material is primarily common sense and requires the critical thinking
skills we need to master in our everday life. Use the
following categories to evaluate web information: |
| Title |
- States briefly what the site is about.
- The words in a title can serve as a clue
to subject matter.
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| Author |
- Who is the author and what are the qualifications,
reputation, or status of that author in the field or subject
area?
- Can you contact the author?
- Is the site affiliated with any institution
or organization?
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| Reliability |
- Make sure the content of site is accurate,
unbiased, and acceptable academically.
- Determine the competence and reputation
of author, editor, publisher, and contributors.
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| Purpose |
- Who is the intended audience of the site?
- Is the site biased or intended to further
a specific agenda or point of view?
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| Currency |
- The information should be current and up-to-date
as opposed to older or out-of-date information that may not
be accurate.
- Check the last update or revised date
of the site. All sites should list when the page was last updated
or revised.
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| Accuracy |
- Is the information correct?
- Is the information fact or fiction?
- Can it be proven?
- Checking the information against another
source often reveals the reliability of a site.
- Is there a Reference or Work Cited bibliography
that demonstrates the author has researched the topic?
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| Organization |
- How well a site is organized will generally
distinguish better and more useful sites.
- A logical structure and ordering will make
finding information easier and quicker.
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| Relevance |
- The information on the site should be precisely
what is needed.
- Is the information unique, or is it repetitive?
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| Special
Features |
- References, hypertext links, cross-references,
bibliographies, and supplementary information can provide further
resources and links to other sites and information.
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