Evaluating Websites
Part 1: Looking at and using the page
- Does the page take a long time to load?
- Are the pictures on the page helpful?
- Is each section of the page labeled with a heading?
- Did the author sign his/her real name?
- Did the author give you his/her e-mail address?
- Is there a date on the page that tells you when it was last updated?
- Is there an image map (big picture with links) on the page?
- Is there a table (columns of text) on the page? (Check the source code.)
- If so, is the table readable with your browser?
- If you go to another page on the site, can you get back to the main page?
- Are there photographs on the page?
• If so, can you be sure that photographs have not been changed by the author?
• If you're not sure, should you accept the photos as true?
Part 2: What’s on the page and who put it there?
- Does the title of the page tell you what it is about?
- Is there a paragraph on the page explaining what it is about?
- Is the information on the page useful for your project?
• If not, what can you do next?
- Would you have gotten more information from an encyclopedia?
- Can you tell if the information on the page is current?
- Does up-to-date information make a difference for your project?
- Does the page lead you to some other good information (links)?
- Does the author of the page present some information you disagree with?
- Does the author of the page present some information that you think is wrong?
- Does some information contradict information you found elsewhere?
- Does the author use some absolute words (like "always" or "never")?
- Does the author use superlative words (like the "best" or "worst")?
- Does the author tell you about him/herself?
- Do you feel that the author is knowledgeable about the topic?
- Are you positive the information is true?
• What can you do to prove the information is true?