Evaluate Websites and Online Resources

6 Questions to ask of every website

Who created the page/site? 

• Look for an “about us” for general webpage information.
• What do we know about the author?
  • If there is an author/editor listed, try googling them to find out who they are.
  • Have they written other things on this topic? 
  • What are the author’s/organization’s qualifications? are they congruent with the topic being discussed?
  • If an author/editor/organization cannot be identified, do not use the source. 

What is the site about? 

• Does it have the information that you need?

Where is the information coming from? 

• Check the URL/domain or look up the domain owner.
• domains can tell us a lot about the webpage:
  • .com: These domains can be purchased by anyone, and any information can be put on it (whether it’s correct or not).  
  • .ca, .uk, .au: This is a country code, and acts similarly to .com. 
  • .edu: This domain is reserved for educational institutions (colleges and universities). 
  • .gov: This domain is reserved for government resources, and can be assumed that the information is credible.
  • .org: This domain is reserved for non-profit organizations. There could still be a bias but is generally reliable.

Why is the site on the web?

• How does it affect the information?
• Look for purpose, mission statement, and advertising. 

When was the site created/updated?

• Look for the copyright date, or dates that articles were published. 
• Is the date important for the timeliness of the content?

How accurate or credible is the page?

• How would you cite it?
• Are there spelling or grammatical errors on the page?

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