Q. How do I evaluate a website?

There are a number of key things to look at when considering a web page for your research:

Accuracy

• Can you verify the information is accurate?
• Are there links to other sources of information? Are they dead or do they work?
• Do other sources confirm the information on the site?
• Is there a bibliography or other list of sources?

Authorship

• Is the author or organization's name clearly indentifiable along with contact information?
• Who is the author and what expertise do they have in the field?
• Is the author/organization reputable?

Objectivity

• Is the page biased or objective?
• Is there inflammatory lanugage or does a particular agenda emerge?
• Does the site contain enough information (depth) to be useful?

Timeliness

• Is the information current?
• Is there a date on the web page? When was the content last updated?
• Do links on the page go to current material?