1. Evaluating
Websites
Tori Jensen
LEAP High School

2. Consumer resources
Government data
Entertainment
Current research
Online communities
News and current events
The Web offers a wealth of information

3. But how do we know what sites
have good information?
?

4. Critically Analyze Sources
Use the Expert’s Tools.
Look for:
• Currency
• Relevance
• Authority
• Accuracy
• Purpose

5. Currency
 Is the information time-sensitive?
 When was the site created?
 When was it last updated?
(whois.net can help with this)
 How current are the links to the page?

6. Which to Choose?
Updated
Unknown
Updates?
This site created 5/23/97.
This site created 12/19/98.
Last updated 6/2/12.

7. Relevance
 Does the information relate to your topic?
 Is the information at an appropriate level?
 How in depth is the material?
 Who is the intended audience?

8. Authority
 Who is the author?
 Does the author have credentials?
 Does the author have a certain
bias?
 Is there contact information for the
author?
 Who is the publisher?
 (use whois.net)

9. Which to Choose?
Scientists and Researchers at NASA
Unknown
Author

10. Clues to Authority
The URL -
.com = commercial site
.edu = educational site
.gov = government site
.net = network (private or commercial)
.org = organizationd
Look author up in Google.
Look for an “about us” link.
Be carful of a site that has a tilde (~) in the URL.
Do other sources refer to this author/publisher?

11. Accuracy
 From what you already know, does the
information seem accurate?
 Did the author follow basic rules of
grammar, spelling, and composition?
 Are proper references given to original
sources?
 Can you find the same information in
other sources?
 Did the source lead you to other sources
of information that were useful?

12. Purpose
 What is the purpose of the
information?
To teach? To sell? To entertain? Or persuade?
 Is the purpose clear?
 Does the author have a particular
bias?
 Are biases clearly stated?
 Is the source designed to sway
opinion?

13. Which to Choose?
Italy: History and Society
Book a Trip
to Italy!

14. Can You Evaluate These Correctly?
http://www.beverageinstitute.org/
http://www.thedogisland.com/
http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.dhmo.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
http://www.umich.edu/~engtt516/index2.html

15. Thank You!