Evaluating and Citing Websites

 

Website Evaluation

 

Using the Internet is one of the quickest and easiest ways to find information about just any topic. However, it is important to be maintain a critical eye when it comes to any content we find, or plan to use, that is found. While the Internet you can find much useful and reliable information on the Internet, you can also find information that is biased, unreliable, and in many instances just down right incorrect.

 

The Internet is a place where anyone can share thoughts and ideas. While this does stimulate and promote a sense of free information, it also means that just a much bad information is posted there as good. Therefore, it is our job as information seekers and users to be able to evaluate which websites are reliable and useful and which are not. In other words, you cannot always believe what you find on the web. But, with a little effort and knowledge, you can quickly judge for yourself whether is website’s content is suitable for your information needs.

 

This page seeks to provide you with tips and information that you can use to properly evaluate website information for yourself.

In considering whether to use the information from a website for your information needs, there are five main criteria you should use to gauge whether the site is a good one or not:

 

1. Accuracy

  • Are the sources cited or backed up by research
  • What is the site’s domain (.com, .edu)
  • Is the information on the site contradicted elsewhere
  • Can the information be verified, specifically from reputable sources
  • Does the website contain a bibliography
  • Are there spelling and punctuation errors

 

2. Authority

  • Who is the author
  • What are the author’s qualification to write on the particular subject of the website
  • Is the person a known authority in that field or subject
  • What is the mission of the website
  • Is the organization sponsoring the site a reputable one
  • Who is the site sponsored by
  • What are the qualifications of the author to provide content on the given subject

 

3. Objectivity
  • What is the purpose of the website (inform, sell, advertise, persuade)
  • Is the point of view balanced
  • Does the site have advertising
  • Is there a conflict of interest
  • Does copyright on the site belong to a person or an organization
  • Is there information indicating who funds the site

 

4. Currency
  • How often is the website updated
  • Is the information on the site updated regularly
  • Are the links on the site operable or dead

 

5. Coverage
  • What is the breadth, depth and scope of the topic covered by the website
  • How deep is the analysis of the information
  • Is anything of significance on the topic left out
  • Does the site contain more content then links, or vice versa
  • Is the site general or specific in regards to the given subject
  • Is there an objective approach

 

WHOIS (Site for verifying who funds or operates a website)

http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois

 

6. Other Considerations

  • Is the content of the site primary or secondary
  • Is the information on the site relevant to your needs (user needs)
  • Consider how much weight each criteria has, specifically over other criteria

 

Tips

  • Examine the top level domain of the URL (website address).
  • Examples of top level domains are .com, .gov - these can be clues as to who is funding or providing the website.
  • Does the website link to other websites that are reputable
  • Look for references and citations in the content of the site
  • Does the website clearly identify the author
  • Are you able to find an area on the website labeled ‘Last Updated’ - this section is usually located at the bottom of the main page of the website.
  • Does the website have an agenda (objectivity)
  • Check out the sitemap for the website, if it has one, to get an idea of the coverage and scope of information the site provides on your given topic

 

For More Information on Web Site Evaluation

http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/faculty/wagnerk/critical.html

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html

 

Citing Web Resources

This is an important step if you plan to use content from a website in a paper, or any type of published or written work. It is important to give proper credit to an content you are using from a website. Although its easy to neglect or forget, using information from a website without giving credit is plagerism just as it would be in the case of a book, journal article or other printed resource. The links below provide information on formatting and style for writing proper citations when giving credit to websites and their content

 

http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/netcitefarq,html

http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html (APA style)

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html (online citation style guide)

http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resources/unclesam/citeweb.html (guide to citing government websites)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ (Purdue University APA formatting and style guide - use link for electronic sources for info on how to cite websites in this style)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ (Purdue University MLA formatting and style guide - use link for electronic sources for info on how to cite websites in this style)

 

 


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