Evaluating Internet Resources Worksheet

Type of Page

  1. On what type of page is this information located?
    • Advocacy? (Does it represent a single point-of-view to which the author(s) would like you to subscribe?)
    • Commercial? (Are the parties responsible for putting the page up trying to sell something?)
    • Informational? (Is this a government site disseminating information important to citizenship for its contituency? Does it represent the voice of an independent individual or a company?)
    • A news source? (Many new agencies and networks now publish on the Web.)
    • A personal Web page? (Many people use the Web as a personal calling card or virtual resume. Most are intended to reflect the interests of an individual.)
    • Take a look at this chart for other types of pages.

    Authority

  2. What are the credentials of the individual(s) responsible for the information on this page? On this site? (Remember the skills you exercised in your Evaluating Sources assignment.)
    • Can you locate the author in any other non-Web information sources?
    • In what other types of resources has the author published? (Books, journals? Refereed?)
    • Are others citing the author's work?
    • What issues does the author generally address? Does this page fall comfortably within the range of those issues, or is this article an anomaly?

    Content

  3. How comprehensive is this site?
    • What are the link selection criteria if any?
    • Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?
    • Is the site inward-focused, pointing outward, or both?
    • Are the links comprehensive or do they just provide a sampler?
    • What do the links offer that is not easily available in other sources?
    • Is the information presented with a minimum of bias?
    • To what extent is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience?
    • Is the content of the work up-to-date?
    • Is the publication date clearly labeled?
    • What is the relative value of the Web page in comparison to the range of information resources available on this topic?
    • Where do the views/arguments articulated on this page reside within the appropriate disciplines?
    • What other resources (print & non-print) are available in this area?
    • What are the date(s) of coverage of the site and site-specific documents?

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