Website Evaluation

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Website Evaluation

• Checking websites on the internet

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Why We Need to Spend Time on This Topic

• The quality of sources on the Web varies
• We are relying more and more on the Web to
  provide information to fill our needs
• Many kids and adults are too trusting

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Importance of Web Site Evaluation

• Web sites have different purposes and we need to
  recognize what they are
• Commercial to sell something
• Personal
• Persuasive Advocacy
• A Hoax
• Entertaining
• Educational
• Informational to teach something
• News

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6 Criteria to Judge Web Sites

• 1 Purpose
• 2 Author
• 3 Currency
• 4 Accuracy
• 5 Overall Design
• 6 Relevancy

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Criteria 1 Purpose

• What is the domain name?
• Is it a personal page?
• Why was this site created?
• Does the websites purpose fit your needs?

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Watch out for personal web pages!

• Personal pages often incorporate the web
  author's name BEFORE the address of the actual
  web host.  So be a little skeptical about
  addresses that have 1 or more periods in the
  sections preceding the .net or .com etc.  
• For example http//www.fairbruk.demon.co.uk/whome
  .html 

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Watch out for personal web pages!

• You should suspect that the page is a personal
  web page if you see this symbol () in the
  address. 
• Here is an example  http//users.orac.net.au/mh
  umphry/aborigin.html
• Personal pages might also have the word "user"
  or "member" in the address. 
• For example http//members.tripod.com/waycool_du
  de/main.html

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Domain Suffixes

• .gov Government agency
• .net Anyone can buy it
• .com Commercial site
• .edu Higher education
• .mil Military site
• .org Organization
• (museum, hospital, charity, nonprofit, and
  other groups)

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Criteria 2 Author

• Is the authors name on the website?
• Do you know where the author got the information?
• Is the author part of an organization,
  association or institution related to the
  subject?
• What makes the author an expert?
• Can you contact the author?
• Do you trust the information on this site?

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Is this sourcecredible?
believable
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Criteria 3 Currency

• Can you find the date the website was created?
• When was the site last updated?
• Do the links on the page work?
• Is the website up to date enough for the
  information on it?

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Criteria 4 Accuracy

• Are the grammar and spelling correct?
• Does the information agree with other sources?
  (books, encyclopedias)
• Is there a bibliography or other links for more
  information on the same subject?
• Based on what you know, does the information
  appear to be accurate?

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Criteria 5 Overall Design

• Is the text readable?
• Do the graphics and colors enhance the content of
  the site?
• Are the pages uncluttered and appealing to the
  eye?
• Is the site well organized with an index or table
  of contents?
• Is it easy to follow directions and navigate
  around the site?

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Criteria 6 Relevancy

• Is the information easy to understand?
• Are the facts on the page what you are looking
  for?
• Is there any new information on this website?
• Are the links to other pages helpful?
• Would you get better information in a book?