Research - Website Evaluation

Website Evaluation

Criteria for Evaluating Websites

Criteria	Questions to Ask
Authority	Are the author and the author's affiliation clearly indicated? Does the author's background and education qualify him or her to write about this topic? Is the webpage written by a hobbyist, self-proclaimed expert or enthusiast? Is there contact information for the author? Is the publisher reputable?
Accuracy	Is the information consistent within the website? Do editors check the information? Are sources properly documented in the form of footnotes or works cited list so that information can be cross-referenced? Is the page free of grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors?
Objectivity	What is the purpose of the website? To inform, give facts, give data? To explain, persuade? To sell, entice? To entertain? Does the website provide balanced, objective or factual information? Does the website provide subjective, editorial or opinion statements? Is the site a forum for a personal, political, or ideological bias? Is the website meant to be a parody or satire? Does the author make use of emotional appeals instead of logical arguments to sway the opinion of the audience? Is sponsorship acknowledged?
Currency	When was the webpage created / last updated? Are all links active? Check the content for news items, indications that the site is actively maintained, responses to visitors, etc. How recent the date needs to be depends on your needs. For some topics, you want current information. For others, you want information put on the web near the time it became known.
Coverage	What is the focus of the site? Are there clear headings to illustrate an outline of the content? Is the navigation within the website clear? How detailed is the information? Is there a balance of images and text? Who is the intended audience: experts or novices?

Also see the following resources by Meriam Library, California State University, Chico:
- Handout: Evaluating Information - Applying the CRAAP Test Handout
- Tutorial: Evaluating Sources for their Quality

Quick Guide to Domain Names

Evaluating the domain name in the URL can help you determine the purpose of the website.

Domain Name	Information about Website
.com = commercial	The commercial domain name has recently been expanded to indicate different types of business—for example .biz Profit is the primary driving force behind the interests of the organization.
.edu = educational	The educational domain is for organizations connected to education in some way, such as elementary and high schools, colleges and universities, research institutes and museums.
.gov = governmental .gc.ca = government of Canada	The governmental domain is used by government organizations, such as the Ontario Ministry of Health or the Federal Ministry of Immigration
.org = organization	The organization domain is for non-profit organizations that do not fit the above categories. Advocacy of a particular issue or viewpoint is often the primary purpose of pages from organizations.
.net = network	The network domain is for personal pages.
Provincial sites Example: .on.ca	These domains are used for many provincial governmental sites and some provincial institutions (e.g. schools, libraries).
Country abbreviations Example: .ca	Country domains are assigned for countries other than the U.S.
/ ~	Although this is not a domain name, these symbols indicate a personal account under a domain name. For example, web pages of students at educational institutions may be indicated by the school’s address followed by a tilde and the student’s name.