Purpose:
Look at the domain name to gain some insight into why the site was created.
- .com or .biz: a commercial site, these sites represent businesses so the information provided may be an attempt to get you to buy something
- .edu: these sites are created by higher education institutions and are often created with education as the main purpose
- .gov: these sites represent a governmental agency or institution
- .org: these sites are created by organizations, they may be non-profit groups, religious or charitable organizations or a lobbying group, so it is important to evaluate them using the following criteria
- ~ (“tilde”): this symbol means that the website is a personal site, you will need to carefully evaluate these sites because they may be reputable, or they may be heavily biased and dishonest
Authority/Creator:
You need to know who is responsible for the information on the website and if they are a reliable source of this information. Use the following questions to determine if the creator is reliable or not.
- Is there a creator listed
- Are they affiliated with an institution?
- What are their credentials?
- Is there any contact information provided?
- Are there references listed? If so are these legitimate?
Objectivity:
The information on the website should be unbiased and supported with evidence and research. Use the following questions to determine if the information is neutral with statements supported by evidence.
- Does the site appear to look at “both sides” of an issue?
- Are any claims made supported with evidence?
- Does the site appear to have information that is exaggerated or distorted?
- Is the information an opinion or unbiased reporting of facts?
Currency:
The information provided should be updated regularly and reflect the newest available knowledge. To determine if a website is up-to-date, look at the following criteria:
- Does the site say when it was last updated?
- If the site has different articles does each have the date it was posted to the site?
- Is the information on the page outdated?
Coverage:
The information provided should be thorough and comprehensive. Examine the website based on the following questions to determine the coverage of the information
- Does the site cover the topic comprehensively?
- Is there any information clearly missing?
- Is there content unavailable because of non-functioning links or because you need to subscribe for full access?
hi Lauren. I know you don't want to hear from me but I would like your help starting a blog of my own. Perhaps you would help? vanderzanden.r@gmail.com
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