Evaluating WebSites

The World Wide Web is now a fundamental part of everyday life and has had sweeping changes on libraries and research.  It is almost impossible to measure the vast amounts of information the WWW makes available and these resources increase daily.  As valuable as this treasury of information is, however, it must be used with extreme caution for several reasons.

The World Wide Web in its natural state differs from the information sources we have used in class in several important ways.  To begin with, the book and article citations (and full text) found in Truman's catalog, the databases of FirstSearch, EBSCOHost, and other sources are usually the equivalent of print holdings that have undergone an editing process and review.  Before a book is published or an article appears in a journal or magazine it undergoes scrutiny by editors, fact checkers, and other "gate keepers" to ensure that it is worthy of publication.  It is still possible for inaccuracies or biases to appear in these items but at least mechanisms are in place to prevent it.  And the library itself is able to exert control over this information by choosing the books it purchases (and displays in the catalog) and the article databases to which it provides access.  The library thus has the ability to filter information it does not deem reliable.

No such controls exist on the web itself.  Virtually anyone with access to a network server can put up a web page and there is no editor or editorial board to oversee the content of a site.  It is possible for someone to put up information that is inaccurate, extremely biased, or completely misleading, and still present it as if it represents a fair and biased view of its subject matter.  While libraries may make (or not make) selections of certain web pages to provide links to, they have no ability to stop users from accessing sites that may be considered unreliable.

Therefore, web users must serve as their own gatekeepers by carefully evaluating the information they find on the web and making sure it fits the needs of their research.  Some things to keep in mind when examining web sites:

1.  Authority

Who wrote the page?  Is the author or the sponsoring agency clearly stated?  This should be done on the home page, not on some second or third level page.

Credentials?  What authority or experience do those sponsoring the page have in the subject area?  For a technical or specialized area , do they possess the appropriate degrees and education to be offering information on the topic.

Also, understand the domain structure of the web and how the type of site can affect the way it should be evaluated.  Company sites might be expected to be concerned with profits, organizational sites might be expected to be promoting a cause, etc.

The chart below helps you to identify websites based on their domain names.

2.  Content

           Is it authentic?  Can the information be verified elsewhere? 
           Are there other articles or books from legitimate experts in the field who can support or disprove the information.
           Not altered or forged?
           Is the information dated?  Have the theories presented been superseded or disproved?
           Are there footnotes if necessary?  Are these to reputable sources?
           Is there a date indicating the last time the page was revised or updated?  (This indicates
           the sponors are concerned with currency and timeliness).

3.  Purpose, Viewpoint

           Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, or institutional biases?
           Do the sponsors have a cause to promote or an  ax to grind?  (This is not necessarily bad if
           they are upfront about it).
           If the information is opinion, is it clearly stated?
           Is the site intended for satire or parody? (This is not always obvious at first glance.)
           Are they trying to sell you something? (Again, this can be a legitimate purpose of a website
           but it should be made clear from the start.)

4.  Reputation

           Did you get this site from a reputable source or from a search engine?
           Who links to it?  (The Advanced Search page in Google allows you to determine this.)
 

Examine the following websites.  Consider the criteria discussed above to do an evaluation of each one.  Look through the sites and the sites they link to determine their purposes, their biases, and some sense of their general accuracy.  You don't need to hand this part in.  It is intended to give you some experience in web site evaluation.

                    Americans To Ban Cloning       

                    Martin Luther King Jr.: A True Historical Examination

When you are done, link to a site I have prepared with some comments about the sites and the ways they meet (or don't meet) the criteria discussed).  My comments should not be regarded as the absolutely correct way to view these sites but simply as a guide to some things to look for in all web sites.

Use these methods to evaluate the websites on the worksheet you were emailed.