INFORMATION VALIDATION
EVALUATING A WEB SITE
Just because something is published on the Internet, it does not mean that it is valid, factual or even
close to the truth. As more and more students access the Internet for information, teachers will become
more critical about the validity of the source. There are criteria for evaluating Internet-based information.
Access the following sites and answer the questions below to help you gain a better understanding of the
validity of information on the net.
http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webcrit.html
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
http://www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/evaluating-web
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/library/abby/evaluating.html
Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites
1. What questions do each of the following criteria bring to mind when evaluating web sites?
a) Purpose b) Authority –
c) Objectivity –
d) Appropriateness –
e) Currency –
f)
Responsibility –
g) Clarity –
h) Accessibility –
2.
Complete the following chart on URLs.
URL Extension
.gov
.net
.com
.edu
.mil
.org
~
Type of Site
Example
ER – Electronic Research and Ethics – Information Validation – Activity Sheet
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3.
Countries also have a 2-letter syllable extension. See if you can identify the following
countries.
URL Extension
.uk
.fr
.bg
.co
.ht
.sa
.ca
.au
.ir
.jp
4.
Country
Clinton High School in Tennessee their own tool for evaluating web site (see Web Site
Evaluation Form on the following page). Access one of the following Internet addresses and
use the form to evaluate the site. Some of the sites listed are legitimate and some are hoaxes
and/or hate sites.
World Trade Organization
Martin Luther King
George W. Bush
World Bank
The Onion
Clones-R-Us
www.gatt.org
www.wto.org
www.thekingcenter.org
www.martinlutherking.org
www.gwbush.com
www.georgebush.com
www.worldbank.org
www.whirldbank.org
www.onion.com
www.d-b.net/dti
ER – Electronic Research and Ethics – Information Validation – Activity Sheet
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WEB SITE EVALUATION FORM
Developed by: Clinton High School Library Media Center
(1=Poor
2=Fair 3=Good
4=Exceptional)
DESIGN
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
 Pages load quickly
 All links work
 Each page links back to the home page
 Site is complete (No pages under construction)
 No additional software needed for access
1
2
3
4
AUTHORITY
 Author of the page is identified
 Is a phone number & postal address provided?
(an e-mail address is not sufficient)
 Sponsoring organization/institution is identified
 Author seems to be qualified in this subject
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2
3
4
ACCURACY
 Factual information can be verified in another source
 Free from grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors
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2
3
4
CURRENCY
 Page has been recently updated (date is provided)
 Links are current
 Information is up-to-date
TOTAL POINTS
1
2
3
4
 Navigability - moving easily from page to page
 Legible text
 Appropriate page format & length
 Graphs & charts clearly labeled
 Text & background colours do not clash
CONTENT
 Purpose of the page is clear
 Contains useful information
 Information is objective/unbiased
 Helpful heading & subheadings
 Bibliography is included
(24-20 = Exceptional
14-9 = Fair
________________
19-15 = Good 8 or less = Poor)
ER – Electronic Research and Ethics – Information Validation – Activity Sheet
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