5

Criteria for evaluating

Web Pages

A pathfinder for quick identification of reliable web pages.

Reference Desk

Joseph F. Smith Library

Brigham Young University Hawaii

Prepared by Ben Miller

Evaluation, of Web Documents

1. Accuracy of Web Documents

Ø Who wrote the page and. can you contact him or her?

Ø What was the purpose of the document and why was it produced?

Ø Is this person qualified to write this document?

2. Authority of Web Documents

Ø Who published the document and is it separate from the"Webmaster?"

Ø Check the domain of this document - what institution publishes this document?

Ø Does the publisher list his or her qualifications?

3. Objectivity of Web Documents

Ø What goals/objectives. does this page meet?

Ø How detailed is the information?

Ø What options (if any), are expressed by the author?

4. Currency of Web Documents

Ø When was it produced?

Ø When was it updated?

Ø How up‑to‑date are the links (if any)?

5. Coverage of the Web Documents

Ø Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents theme?

Ø Is it all images or a balance‑of text and images?

Ø Is the ‑information presented cited correctly?

How to interpret the Basics

Accuracy

v Make sure the author provides e‑mail or a contact address/phone number

v Know the distinction between author and Webmaster.

Authority

v What credentials are listed for the author(s)?

v Where is the document ‑published? Check URL domain.

Objectivity

v Determine if page is a mask for advertising. If so information might be biased.

v View any Web page as you would an infomercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom?

Currency

v How many dead links are on the page?

v Are the links current or updated ‑regularly?

v Is the information on the ‑page outdated?

Coverage

v If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don't have the software?

v Is it free or is there a fee. to obtain the information?

v Is there an option for text only, or frames, or a suggested browser for better viewing?

Putting it all Together

ü Accuracy‑ If your page lists the author and institution that published the page and provides a way of contacting him/her, and

ü Authority‑ If the page lists the author credentials and its' domain is preferred (edu, gov, org, or ‑net), and

ü Objectivity‑ If your page provides accurate information with limited advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and

ü Currency‑ If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also. up‑to‑date, and ...

ü Coverage‑ If you can view the information properly ‑ not limited to fees, browser technology, or software requirements, then you may have a high quality Web page that could be of value to your research!

Citing sources found on the Internet:

Lester. Writing Research . p.258

1. Author/editor name. 2.Title of article, story or poem in quotation marks 3.Name of book, journal or complete work italicized 4.Publication information. 5.Date of your access not followed by period 6.URL within angle brackets followed by period; break URLs only after a virgule

Example: Fahey, Todd. "Beach ‑House9 Kudzu Autuma 1995. 10 Mar. 1999 <www.etext.org/Zines/k954/fahey,~beach;htrnl>.

Citing Electronic Journals, and Newsletters:

Gibaldi. J. MLA handbook p. 165

1. Name of author

2. Title of article or document (quotation marks)

3.Title of Journal or newsletter (underlined)

4.Volumc, issue, other identifying number

5.Year or date of publication (in parenthesis)

6.Number of pages or pagination

7.Flublication medium (online)

8.Narne of computer network

9.Date of access

Example: Alston, Robin. 61he battle of the books." Humani 7.0176 (10 Sept. 1993): Opp. Online. Internet. ‑10 Oct. 1993.