Evaluating Web Resources
The ABC’s of Website Evaluation
This is an interesting website by Kathy Schrock (Administrator for Technology for the Nauset Public Schools) about evaluating web based resources. It clearly states that evaluation of websites is an important skill for students and teachers to learn, and an A-Z list of 24 criteria related to website evaluation is provided. It lists a question or two that pertain to each topic; the reader is encouraged to ponder each question as they view an accompanying link to a different website. For example, a link to a website is given under the heading “Authority” and the questions to keep in mind while viewing the site are: “Can you find out about the owner of the company?” and “Would you use this site for reputable tornado information?” The sites listed are useful for looking at pages with these specific questions in mind. There are no right or wrong answers since the goal is to encourage critical thinking and discretionary skills while searching for information on the internet. It is stressed that students and teachers need practice in critically examining sites to determine authority, authenticity, and applicability to purpose and some areas that are mentioned are bias, citations, misinformation and authority.
Evaluating Web Pages
Another website that I liked is one from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign titled “Evaluating Web Pages”. This site provides important things to keep in mind while searching the internet, and it provides basic information about evaluating web based resources that beginner internet users might not be aware of. It makes a good point that anyone can publish information on the web, but the facts are not necessarily checked as they are in print materials. I think this is a very significant point as it emphasizes that the individual searching for information must analyze and evaluate each webpage for its usefulness in research. The seven areas that are discussed are: purpose and objectivity, coverage, currency, accuracy, intended audience, author, and “publisher". Some points that I don’t always think of while I’m looking at websites are that information found on a .edu or .gov site is more likely to be reliable, while information on .org sites may be bias toward a particular agenda, and .com sites may stretch the truth to sell a product. Another important factor that I don’t always keep in mind is when was the website last updated. This site reminds us that it is important to do so, and also includes links for further tutorials on webpage evaluation.
