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?