Six Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages

AUTHORITY

• Is there an author or sponsoring body (organization, company) and is the name of the author or sponsoring body listed?
• Are the author(s) qualifications or credentials listed?
• Is contact information (e-mail, address, or phone number) included?
• Is the listed name different from the "Webmaster"?
• Where is the document published? Check the URL domain (.edu, .org, .com, .gov).

OBJECTIVITY

• Has the author or organization clearly stated the goals and/or aims of the site? (The Web often functions as a virtual soapbox).
• If objectivity is important, is the information presented in an objective manner?
• Is a particular point of view being presented?
• Is there a bias, either explicit or implied?
• Is the information presented free of advertising? If there is advertising, is it clearly differentiated from the informational content?
• Is this an "Infomercial" Web page? (On the Web, the distinction between advertising and information can easily become blurred).

ACCURACY

• If facts and figures are given, are they accurate?
  Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed?
• Can they be verified in another source?
• How does this information compare with other sources of information on this topic?

CURRENCY

• When was the page produced?
• When was it last updated?
• Is any information on the page outdated?
• Are the links up-to-date? Are there references to sites which have moved?

CONTENT/RELEVANCY

• Does the page meet your research needs or purpose?
• Is the subject adequately covered?
• Are the links (if any) evaluated/annotated and do they complement the page's theme?
• If other sources are quoted, is the information accurately cited?
• Is all the information on the site free, or is there a fee to link to some or all of the information?

AESTHETICS

• Is there an appropriate balance between text and images?
• Is the design of the page visually appealing or is it too cluttered?
• Is there an option for text only, or frames, or a suggested browser for better viewing?
• If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don't have the software?

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

AUTHORITY. If the page lists the author credentials and its domain is preferred (.edu, .org, .gov), and…

OBJECTIVITY. If the page provides accurate and objective information, and …

ACCURACY. If the page lists the author and institution that published the page and provides a way of contacting him/her, and…

CURRENCY. If the page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and…

CONTENT/ RELEVANCY. If the page meets your research needs and the subject is adequately covered, and…

AESTHETICS. If the page has a balance of images and graphics, is visually appealing,

...then you will have found a high quality Web page that should be of value to your research!