Last revised: September 2009

Evaluating Web Sites

Scope: The purpose of this page is to provide the necessary guidelines used to determine the quality and accuracy of the information found on the World Wide Web. E-mail the subject area specialist at libues@mail.umd.edu or call 301-405-9070 for more information.

Traditionally, students setting out to write research papers could trust that the library materials they use are not unduly biased. An academic library's print, nonprint and electronic resources have been edited and checked for accuracy by scholarly organizations and publishers, then carefully evaluated by professional librarians for inclusion into the library's collection.

The information found on the World Wide Web has added a new dimension to selecting resources. Anyone can create a Web site. No one has evaluated the quality or accuracy of the information found on the Web before you come across it. Some Web sites are created by subject experts; for example, the UM Libraries' home page, and its associated pages, is authored by librarians who are experts in the field of information. However, the vast majority of Web sites are created by non-experts.

It is important to keep in mind that just because information is published in a book, in a journal, or appears in a movie, or on the Web, does not mean to say it is true. One must take the time to evaluate the accuracy of the information. Researchers need to develop critical thinking skills in evaluating either pre-filtered library materials or unfiltered Web sources.

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A Web site author can be a person (Jamie Oliver), a commercial company (.com), an academic institution (.edu), a government agency (.gov), a nonprofit organization (.org), a network of computers (.net), a military site (.mil), or a country-sponsored (.uk) site.

Ask the following questions:

• Who is the author? Can you tell by the domain (.com or .edu) or Web address?
  
• Is the information reliable? What are the qualifications or expertise of the individual/group that created the site?
  
• Does the Web site provide a means of communicating with the author or Webmaster (e.g., email or postal address, telephone number, etc)?

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Purpose and Content

Ask the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the Web site? (Look at the title and headings for clues.)
  
• What is the purpose? To provide research and scholarly information? To provide educational or factual information? To entertain? To advertise, market or sell something? To advocate ideas? To persuade you? Or, is there another purpose?
  
• Is there a link to a Mission Statement or About Our Organization page?
  
• Does the site provide balanced, objective or factual information?
  
• Does the Web site provide subjective, editorial or opinion statements? Is the site a forum for a personal, political or ideological bias?
  
• Is the point of view presented in a direct manner, or is it presented in an unbalanced and unreasonable way? Are arguments well supported?

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Currency

The currency or regularity of updating information is vital for some types information and not so important for others. For example, Web sites that provide historical information, such as the presidential papers of George Washington do not have to be updated as often as compared to sites that provide news stories or stock market information.

Ask the following questions:

• When was the Web site last revised, modified or updated?
  
• Is the site well-maintained? Are links current and working or do they lead to outdated pages and/or error messages?

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Design, Organization and Ease of Use

• Is the Web site clearly organized, easy to read, use and navigate?
  
• If applicable, are Help or Search Tips pages available? Are they easy to understand?
  
• If the Web site is large, is a search capability provided? If so, is it easy to use?

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