EVALUATING WEBSITES:

UNTANGLING THE WEB

Mrs. HughesLibrary Media Specialist

• Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or academic reviewers.

• No standards exist to ensure accuracy on the World Wide Web.

• There are guidelines for creating quality websites. However, not everyone is aware of the guidelines, and no one has to follow them.

THEREFORE; it is your job as a researcher to look for quality and to decipher the good from the bad from the ugly.

Why You Need to Evaluate?

We use information to make important decisions!

• Which car should I buy?• Should I take this medication?• How should I invest my money?

You want to ensure that the information you choose is reliable, credible, current, balanced, relevant, and accurate!

Its More than Just Finding Information for School

• This tutorial works best with Mozilla Firefox.• Go to http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ for a free

download.• You will be asked if you want to make Firefox your default

browser. Click “Yes.” You can always change back to Internet Explorer after completion of the assignment.

About the Tutorial

This tutorial will teach you how to evaluate Websites using the following criteria:

• Author: who wrote the page/site• Scholarship: identifying scholarly, academic,

educated material• Audience: who the information intended for• Bias: point of view or prejudice• Currency: copyright date or date of posting

The Basics of Website Evaluation

In this tutorial you will evaluate real websites. These sites are linked throughout the PowerPoint. When you click on the link, you will leave the PowerPoint and go the site. Once you are in the website, click on different pages to find the information you need. After you have found the information and made your evaluation, return back to the PowerPoint.

Hint: Focus on the specific information you need to locate. Spending too much time browsing the sites will slow you down; you can browse later. It should only take two to five minutes to evaluate a site, and evaluations will become faster and easier the more you do them.

Real Websites

• Sometimes it’s very hard to tell treasure from trash• The information that you need to locate may be in one

place on one site and in a different place on another website

• Sometimes web developers don’t want you to understand

Prepare for a Little Confusion

What you want to see:• The author’s profession, education, titles, affiliations, etc.• The author’s academic credentials (bachelor’s, master’s or

doctorate degree) in the subject area that they are writing about

Author’s Credentials

The clues are in the URL.• URL means uniform resource locator; it is another way of

saying Internet address or link.• If it is someone’s personal site: the URL might have the

following symbols: tilde (~), percentage sign (%), the words “users” or “members” or “personal”, or a personal name

• it might be hosted by a free server like AOL, Tripod, Geocities, Comcast, etc.

Examples:• http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/circul.html

ouniversity professor’s writing; a good site• http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carson/shoe/

DEV.HTM o university professor’s writing; a good site

• http://logicmgmt.com/1876/splash.htm o Logic Mgmt is a web service provider; anyone can buy

web space from them and create their own siteo The author’s credentials are not posted anywhere on

the site

Author: Is it a Personal Website?

Information about the author can be located in many places:

• “About”• “FAQs”• “Home”• “Company Information”• “Profiles”• “Our Staff”• “Credits”• “Disclaimer”

RED FLAG! It is a bad sign if you can’t find any information about the author after clicking on all of those pages. You should either find a different Website, or you should email the author and politely ask for more information.

Where to Find Information about the Author

1. Click on Rome: Republic to the Empire (you will leave the PowerPoint and go to the site).

2. Find out who the author is, and what her credentials are. 3. Return back to the PowerPoint.

YES NO

Would you use this site based on the author’s credentials?

Give it a Try!

• The author is clearly identified• She is a teacher at a college • The author is Barbara F. McManus, Professor of Classics emerita,

The College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY. • McManus’s name is linked to page that provides more

information about her such books she has written, her current research project, Web projects, presentations, courses she teaches, and much more.

• Her academic credentials make this a reliable source.

Correct!

• The author is clearly identified• She is a teacher at a college The author is Barbara F. McManus,

Professor of Classics emerita, The College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY.

• McManus’s name is linked to page that provides more information about her such books she has written, her current research project, Web projects, presentations, courses she teaches, and much more.

• Her academic credentials make this a reliable source.

Sorry!

1. Click on SPQR on Think Quest (remember, you will leave the PowerPoint and go to the website).

2. Find out who the authors are, and find their academic credentials.

3. Return to the PowerPoint.

YES No

Would you use this site based on the credentials of the authors?

What about the Author of this Site?

The “About this Site” page states only that the authors are students from a magnet school. Think Quest sites are written by elementary, middle, and high school students for other elementary, middle, and high school students.

Sorry!

The “About this Site” page states only that the authors are students from a magnet school. Think Quest sites are written by elementary, middle, and high school students for other elementary, middle, and high school students.

Correct!

Scholarship

What to look for:• the writing is supported with cited references• the cited references are from reputable sources• the information is consistent with what you know• the information is consistent with what you have read in

other sources• the page/site has been edited for spelling and grammar

Scholarship: Example 1

Does Rome: Republic to the Empire have the appropriate hallmarks of scholarship?

YES No

Correct!

There is a bibliography of credible sources. The information provided in the site is correct, and it has been edited for spelling and grammar.

Sorry!

There is a bibliography of credible sources. The information provided in the site is correct, and it has been edited for spelling and grammar.

Scholarship: Example 2

Does SPQR on Think Quest have the appropriate hallmarks of scholarship?

YES No

Correct!

On the “Et. Al.” page there is a bibliography of credible sources. The site seems to be error free and correctly edited for spelling and grammar.

Sorry!

On the “Et. Al.” page there is a bibliography of credible sources. The site seems to be error free and correctly edited for spelling and grammar.

• Is the webpage or website you are viewing written for teenagers, legislators, young children, technicians, parents, etc.?

• Does the web page or website contain technical jargon or terminology meant for a particular group such as librarians, computer programmers, doctors, etc?

• Does the webpage use slang?

Audience: Who is the Information Intended For

You may have to check several places. • “Home”• “About”• “FAQ” • “Mission”

Where to Find Information about the Intended Audience

Who was Rome: Republic to Empire written for?

Audience: Example 1

Anyone interested Ancient Rome

Students in McManus’ Class

Although anyone interested in Ancient Rome may find this site helpful, this site was written for students taking Barbara F. McManus’ Ancient Rome in Film, Fiction, and Fact class.

Correct!

Sorry!

Although anyone interested in Ancient Rome may find this site helpful, this site was written for students taking Barbara F. McManus’ Ancient Rome in Film, Fiction, and Fact class.

.

Audience: Example 2

Who is SPQR on Think Quest written for?

Anyone interested in Ancient Rome

Students 19 and under

The “FAQ” page states that Think Quest sites are written by elementary, middle, and high school students for other elementary, middle, and high school students.

Correct!

The “FAQ” page states that Think Quest sites are written by elementary, middle, and high school students for other elementary, middle, and high school students.

Sorry!

Bias (prejudice, favoritism, singular point-of-view)

Ask these questions:• Is the site sponsored by a company that wants to sell you

something? • Is the site owned/sponsored an organization looking to present

their point-of-view on an issue?

Bias: Example 1

Can you find any evidence of bias on the page “Does Animal Experimentation Save Lives?”

YES No

Correct!

PETA believes that if it is wrong to experiment on humans, then it is wrong to experiment on animals.

“There are some medical problems that can probably only be cured by testing on unwilling people, but we don’t do it because we recognize that it would be wrong. We need to extend this same concern to other living, feeling beings, regardless of what species they may be.”

Sorry!

PETA believes that if it is wrong to experiment on humans, then it is wrong to experiment on animals.

“There are some medical problems that can probably only be cured by testing on unwilling people, but we don’t do it because we recognize that it would be wrong. We need to extend this same concern to other living, feeling beings, regardless of what species they may be.”

Bias: Example 2

Can you find any evidence of bias on the page “Animal Test Research Saves Many Lives”

YES No

Correct!

The title says it all, “Animal-Test Research Saves Lives.” If you need more proof, just read the first sentence: “Animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century -- for both human and animal health.”

Sorry!

The title says it all, “Animal-Test Research Saves Lives.” If you need more proof, just read the first sentence: “Animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century -- for both human and animal health.”

Currency: is it out of date?

• As with all information sources, it is important to look at how long ago the information was written.

• Keep these questions in mind: • When was the page written?• When was the page last updated?• When was the page mounted/posted?• Is the content of the work current or up-to-date?

• Do the links take you to older or newer information? • Are the links working? If there are “broken” links, then the site

is not being maintained. That may be a sign of an out-of-date site.

How current does the information need to be?

• Currency is very important in the fields of science and technology. Just think about all the changes and updates there have been with iPods, iPads, social networking, gaming, etc.

• If you are using medical information that is ten years old, then you are missing out on ten years of research, discoveries, and new treatments.

• How about researching a present-day social issue? How current should your information be? A good rule-of-thumb is within five years.

• History is a little different. If you are researching ancient civilizations or shoe styles in the 1800s, currency is not as vital. However, there are always new perspectives on the facts and new discoveries that change what we know. A good rule of thumb for history is twenty years.

Currency: Example 1

When was “A Look Back at Old-Time Medicine” posted? Is the medical information in this article too old?

YES No

Correct!

It is extremely important for medical information to be current and up-to-date. However, this article is about the history of medicine, so it is okay to use.

Sorry!

It is extremely important for medical information to be current and up-to-date. However, this article is about the history of medicine, so it is okay to use.

If you were researching the Salem witch trials, would you use this information on the “The Salem Witch Trials, 1692” page?

Currency: Example 2

YES No

• The date of publication is posted at the bottom of the page. • It was published/posted in 2000. • The Salem witch trials is seventeenth century history, and

currency is not as vital when researching history.

Correct!

• The date of publication is posted at the bottom of the page.

• It was published/posted in 2000. • The Salem witch trials is seventeenth century history, and

currency is not as vital when researching history.

Sorry!

The basics of website evaluation are:• Author: who wrote the page/site• Audience: who the information intended for• Scholarship: identifying scholarly, academic,

educated material• Bias: point-of-view or prejudice• Currency: copyright date or date of posting

Let’s Recap

There are a few other clues an tools to use for evaluating websites. They include checking for working links, links checks, and domains.

More Clues and Tools

Important questions to ask:• Are links in the web page taking you to "Not Found" pages? If

so, that means the creator of the site is no longer maintaining it.

• Do the links bring you to advertisements? Advertisements can be very distracting. Sometimes it can be difficult to navigate through a site because of pop-up advertising.

• What kind of links did the author choose? Popular, scholarly, reputable?

Links: Where do They Take You?

Vetted Website Portals“Vetted” refers to something that has undergone careful examination and scrutiny. Searching within a vetted portal is not the same as searching with Google. The websites you find with Google include the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is up to you figure out which is which because there is no vetting process. A vetted website portal, however, includes only those sites that have been carefully examined and selected by teachers, librarians, and other professionals. If your site appears in one of the vetted portals provided below, they it is a good site.• Sweet Search @ http://www.sweetsearch.com/• Internet Public Library @ http://www.ipl.org/• Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collection @

http://infomine.ucr.edu/ • Internet Scout Project @ http://scout.wisc.edu/index.php

HINT: Begin your search here. Let these portals help you do the work!

Links: Vetted Website Portals

Smoking From All Sides: Commentary provides links to other sites about smoking. 1. What do you think about the sites being linked? Do they seem

reputable? 2. Are all of the links working, or do they take you to a page or site

that no longer exists?3. Is this site listed in one of the vetted portals?

Would you use Smoking From All Sides to find websites that have information about smoking?

Give it a Try?

YES No

• Some of the links are to credible, reliable resources.• Some of the links are to sites that are NOT credible,

reliable, or scholarly. • Some of the links are broken. This is usually an indication

that the site is no longer being maintained. • This site is not in a vetted portal.More issues: We do not know who the creator of this site is. Bottom line: because so many links are to sites that are not reliable for scholarly work, this is not a good bibliography of Web resources.

Correct!

• Some of the links are to credible, reliable resources.• Some of the links are to sites that are NOT credible,

reliable, or scholarly. • Some of the links are broken. This is usually an indication

that the site is no longer being maintained. • This site is not listed in a vetted portal.More issues: We do not know who the creator of this site is. Bottom line: because so many links are to sites that are not reliable for scholarly work, this is not a good bibliography of Web resources.

Sorry!

• If you can’t locate the “Home,” “About,” “FAQs,” “Company Information,” “Profiles,” “Our Staff,” “Credits,” “Disclaimer,” etc., try truncating the URL.

• Truncate the URL by deleting characters in the address line up to the next slash mark.

For example:http://www.history.org/history/clothing/women/index.cfmhttp://www.history.org/history/clothing/women/http://www.history.org/history/clothing/http://www.history.org/history/http://www.history.org/

Truncate the URL

Domains as Clues

What do Domain Extensions Mean

Click on the links below to learn more about domains (for example, .edu or .gov) to learn how they are important clues to Website evaluation.

People reading your work will examine what sources you used. They will review your works cited. So…• Evaluate carefully. • Don’t settle for good enough!• Quality always counts!

Just as You Evaluate Your Sources . . .

Time to practiceConsidering each group of websites, one, two, all, or none for research?

Coca-Cola Advertising 1 Coca-Cola Advertising 2

Michigan 1 Michigan 2

Diet Pills 1Diet Pills 2Diet Pills 3

Does Modern Music negatively Influence Children 1 Does Modern Music negatively Influence Children 2Does Modern Music negatively Influence Children 3Hint: check out the “Disclaimer” page

Victorian England 1 Victorian England 2

Pizza is a Vegetable 1 Pizza is a Vegetable 2

Hospital 1 Hospital 2

Guns 1 Guns 2

Views of Jupiter 1 Views of Jupiter 2

Animals 1Animals 2Animals 3

Click here for more practice

Time to practiceCastlesHistory of American FashionLip BalmExtreme EatingThe Biology ProjectHatchooConfectionary TimelineFurneticsLASIKCalifornia’s Velcro Crop Under ChallengeFacts about SeriesLemon DropsImprobable ResearchFashion HistoryDihydrogen Monoxide Research Division

CONGRATULATIONS: YOU HAVE

UNTANGLED THE WEB!