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Services - Research - Evaluating Websites

Fuzzy Borders: Where do web sites begin and end?

The web is a system that uses the Internet to transport information. It has its own language, which you must be familiar with before you can determine whether or not to use a web site. Do you know these terms?

Web Page

Web pages are the files that make up the web. Currently, there are billions of web pages on every imaginable topic. For example, the web page that you are reading, Evaluating Web Sites, is a web page.

Web Site

A web site a collection of web pages on a particular subject that includes a main page called a home page. For example, the web page Evaluating Web Sites resides on the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries' web site. The home page for the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries is located at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/.

URL

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a specific location on the web. All web pages are assigned a URL. Generally, the web pages that make up a particular web site will have a similar URL. For example, the URL for the page Evaluating Web Sites is http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/services/research/evaluate. The URL for the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries home page is http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/. Although these pages have different URLs, they are both part of the same web site. How do you know? The beginning of both URLs http://www.tamu-commerce.edu is the same.

Link

A link is text or an image on a web page that you can click on to jump to another web page. A web page may contain links to pages on the same web site. These are known as internal links. A web page may also contain links to pages on another web site. These are known as external links. For example, there are hundreds of web pages that make up the IRS web site, including the web page IRS Forms and Publications http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.

Why is evaluation necessary?

Many students are comfortable using the web when searching for information. Web sites include facts, opinions, and images on just about every topic. The web is also very convenient and can provide you with results very quickly. However, much of what's available on the web is not appropriate to use when researching an issue for a class assignment. Why? Much of the information is inaccurate, biased, out-of-date, or just not thorough enough. To help you evaluate and select resources from the web, the librarians at the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries developed some guidelines. Each guideline is followed by an example.

Consider the following before using information from a web site

Source

Who is the creator or publisher or author of the site? You should be able to easily find this information in one of several places. Does it appear at the bottom or top of the page? If not, look for a link that reads "About," "Home," or "For More Information." If the site doesn't list a creator, it most likely isn't appropriate to use it as a resource for your research papers. For example, the creators of both the US Census Bureau site http://www.census.gov/ and the Little Debbie Snacks site http://www.littledebbie.com/ are clearly visible.

Authority

Is the creator of the page qualified to provide information on this topic? What are their credentials? Look for a link that reads "About", "Credentials", "Resume", or "For More Information." If the authority isn't clear, the site may not be an appropriate resource for your research paper. For example, Ask Alice is a source for medical information that was created by the doctors, nurses, and educators at Columbia University. It has received numerous awards and endorsements. This information is easily identified on the About Alice page http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/about.html.

Currency

How current is the information on the page? Look for information such as "last update" or another date indicator. This may not be important if you're looking for historical information. However, if you're researching a topic that changes frequently, such as a health issue or the stock market, the currency of the page is vital. For example, the CDC's West Nile Virus page includes important information on disease prevention. Information at the bottom of the page http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/ clearly states how often this page is updated.

Accuracy

Is the information correct? How do you know? Does the page provide information so that users can easily verify facts cited and claims made? There's a difference between verifiable facts and personal beliefs. If information included on the page can't be verified as accurate, the site may not be an appropriate resource for your research paper. For example, the ABC News web site posts news and other information of interest to the public. The site published an article http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=424002&page=1 on the issue of FBI survelliance of US libraries. Note that the article includes the names and affiliations of everyone mentioned, as well as some direct quotations.

Bias

Does the creator have a particular bias? If so, how do you know and how does the bias affect the information on the page? Please be aware that just because a site has a particular bias doesn't mean that the information is inaccurate. However, such a site is more likely to provide only one side of the debate on a particular issue. If you're researching an issue, you should carefully consider whether a site has a bias and, if so, whether a biased web site is an appropriate resource. If you do use such a site, you should verify the accuracy of the information presented. You may also want to locate information on opposing views. For example, if you were writing a paper on gun control, you would find lots of information on the web, much of it either pro or con. An example of a biased web site on this issue is the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence http://www.bradycampaign.org.

Depth

How detailed is the information on the page? Is it detailed enough to provide you with what you need? Although a site may address a particular issue, it may not be comprehensive enough to be used as a resource for your research papers. The depth of the information provided often depends on the intended audience. For example, compare The Official Babe Ruth Site http://www.baberuth.com/ with the information about Babe Ruth that's provided by the National Baseball Hall of Fame http://baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/ruth_babe.htm.

Appearance

Is the site easy to navigate? Is it free of misspellings and grammatical errors? Does the page load relatively quickly? Are images and colors compatible with your browser? Are links up-to-date? While the appearance of a site isn't the most important factor when evaluating the site, a poor design can be a sign that the content may not be reliable. For example, an example of a well-designed, professional-looking site that meets all of our evaluation criteria is Texas A&M University http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/.

For More Information

Still unsure if a web site might be an appropriate source? Try one of the following articles, books, or other web sites for more information. You can also schedule an appointment with a librarian by calling Research Assistance at the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries at (903) 886-5720.

Articles

Fox, Lynne M. "Evaluating Medical Web Sites," Colorado Libraries. 26:1 (Spring 2000) 33-5.

Marcovitz, David M. "I Read It on the Computer, It Must Be True: Evaluating Information from the Web," Learning and Leading with Technology. 25:3 (Nov. 1997) 18-21.

Tweddle, Sally, Peter Avis, and Julie Wright. "Towards Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites," British Journal of Educational Technology. 29:3 (July 1998) 267-70.

Book

Alexander, Janet E. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999. 19 Oct. 2000

Web Sites

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Ed. Susan E. Beck. 15 May 2000. New Mexico State University Library. 18 Oct. 2000.

Information Literacy (Critical Thinking Competencies) - Digital Literacy Checklist. Ed. Debra Revere. 31 May 2005. Department of Health Sciences, University of Washington. 31 May 2005.

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