Be a Web site detective

make sure they’ve found good Web sites.

Good sites have accurate information, they are up to date

make sure that the Web site is right for your research Like detective work = you are investigating

the Web site to see if its information is correct

Important to know where your information comes from and who put it there

Find out the author of the Web site = do you want to trust that person

• Is the page mostly writing• Is the vocabulary or reading level

very advanced• Websites designed for kids, often

help you learn about something. Their purpose is to inform.

• The best are developed by experts or organizations related to the topic.

Read through the information Based on what you already

know, is the information correct

If not move on If accurate you might keep

this website Modify your search terms if

you can’t find what you are looking for

Check a Web site’s info against other sources Encyclopedias, textbooks, Web sites• Compare facts presented on one Web

site with those presented on two other sites

Does the info agree?

What is the date of the Web site? When was it last updated? Info changes over time

updated in the last 5 years for history topics current events updated within the year

Why does the Web site exist? Sell a product Author wants to persuade you to believe

something These are biased sites, one sided, favor one

point of view or make you think a certain way• You Want: Purpose to inform Present facts teach

References are the books, articles, or Websites that the author used to get his/her information

Citations page or Bibliography Links to other Web sites List of references shows you

that the author worked hard to find accurate information

Who is the author of the Web site? The clues about the author can help you

decide if the information is accurate Best authors are experts on the topic Author may be listed at the top or

bottom of the article or in a list links Look for: About Us, About this Site, Who are

We, Click to learn more, Authors, or FAQ Find a biography of the author on a website

Look at the URL to see who might have published the Web site (pub. = the person or group of people who put the site on the Internet. May or may not be the same person as the author)

URLs .com = businesses .edu = colleges or schools .org = organization .gov = government

Sites from museums or government agencies are good choices for school projects

Sites from .org or .edu and libraries = smart options too

Watch out for personal websites (ex: tripod.lycos.com and weebly.com = free sites that anyone can use to create. Homestead.com and webs.com. Sites with a tilde (~) in the URL = a personal site

How a site looks gives you many clues1. Purpose2. Quality3. Author/publisher First Impressions1. Nice design2. Layout organized3. Colorful4. Easy to navigate

Advertisements Distracting Sell you something rather than inform

Look closely at other clues, don’t just ignore the site because it has some advertisements

Could still be a useful site!

Audi

ence

auth

o

r

purpos

ePublication

Overall

The process of Web site evaluation helps you think about the sites you come across in different ways. You must put the clues together to decide if you should use the Web site for your research.

 Truesdell, Ann. Super Smart Information Strategies. Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Pub., 2010. Print

The 5 Ws of Web Evaluation = Kathy Shrock, 2001 – 2009

Web Site Evaluation Form = Read*Write*Think, copyright 2004