Checklist to Evaluate Web Sites Purpose Identify what is the purpose of the Web site/page. Web sites can be: Entertainment http://www2.warnerbros.com/main/homepage/homepage.html Business/Marketing/Commercial http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/ http://www.networksolutions.com Reference/Informational http://www.infoplease.com/ Educational http://www.drunkdriving-california.net/ News http://www.latimes.com/ http://www.bbc.com Advocacy http://nra.org/ http://www.saferoads.org Personal Page http://www.michaelmoore.com/ What does the URL says about the purpose of the web site? .com = business/marketing, e-commerce .mil = military site .edu = academic, colleges/universities .gov = U.S. government produced .net = network .org = organization, may be charitable, religious or a lobbying group ~ (tilde) indicates personal Web page   Goals Are the goals of the Web site clearly stated? Example: Pew Research Institute   Objectivity Is the Web site biased or objective? Examples: Pro-Life Movement Pro-Choice Movement   Coverage Is the topic covered in depth or briefly? Are quality links to other useful sites included?   Authority Is the author’s name or the organization’s name listed? Do authors list their professional affiliation, credentials, or degrees? Does he/she have sufficient authority to speak on the subject? Is there any way to reach the author? If an organization is listed, is it well-known and reputable? Example: Smart Voter   Appropriateness and Relevance Is the content of the page appropriate for your assignment? Is the content accurate, complete and well-written? Is the content relevant to your topic or question?   Sources Does the Web site list where the information was obtained? Example: Internet Time Line   Accuracy Is the information correct, or is the information verified by an editor(s) or a fact checker (most Web sites are not)? Verify the facts with other sources such as authoritative books, periodicals, or with an instructor or librarian.   Currency Are the creation date and revision dates listed? Example Elections 2012 subject guide from the Rio Hondo College Library Web site   Accessibility Does the site load quickly? Can you navigate the site easily? Is there a text-only alternative for the visually-impaired?   Clarity Is the information clearly  presented? Are the pages well organized? Are there mistakes in spelling or grammar? Is the text legible and formatted for easy reading Hoaxes A hoax is a deliberate attempt to deceive or trick an audience into believing, or accepting, that something is real, when the hoaxster knows it is not; or that something is true, when it is false. (Wikipedia) To verify the authenticity of the site you may have to go through several layers of the site to find "About" or "Contact Us" information. http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ http://www.snopes.com/ http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep00/piper.htm