Evaluating Web Sites for Quality

The ABC's:

Accuracy:

• Is the content verifiable, replicable, reliable, error-free?
• Has the site been reviewed in professional or scholarly sources?
• Does the Internet resource have an identified comparable print or CD ROM data set or source?
• Remember that nearly any one can publish on the Web.

Bias/Objectivity:

• Do you want biased, slanted information or objective, balanced information?
• From what domain does the site derive? .edu, .org, and .gov sites are (generally) reliable; .net and .com sites may require more scrutiny. Is it clear who is sponsoring the site? Is it designed to sell a product or service or to sway opinion?

Content/Coverage:

• Do you want content or a list of more sites?
• What is the author's rationale for the creation of the site? The content should add to the existing body of knowledge in a unique way.
• Is the content "popular" or "scholarly"?
• Is the site meant to be comprehensive or cursory in scope? How in-depth is the material?
• Do the site's graphics and sounds add to the value of the site? Are there spelling or grammar errors?

Documentation:

• Is there a bibliography or sources cited listing on the site? Are they full enough to allow you to access the cited source in print or electronically?
• Does the author display knowledge of theories, schools of thought, or techniques usually considered appropriate in the treatment of his/her topic?

Editorial Control/Authority/Currency:

• Who is the author or source of the site? Are their credentials listed on the site? Are they well-known in the field?
• What is the authority, expertise or reputation of the individual or group who created the site?
• Information should be present to contact the author of a site. Is it there?
• Is the site current? Is there a date of creation or most recent modification? Do all the links work properly?

Gut Feeling:

• Do you just have a sense that this site or some of the information on it seems "not quite right"?

See Also:

• Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask (UC Berkeley)
• Evaluating Information Found on the Internet (Johns Hopkins University, The Sheridan Libraries)
• Evaluating Web Sites (University of Maryland, University Libraries)

Please send questions or comments on this research guide to Louise Buckley, Reference Librarian, University of New Hampshire

Last revised 10 September 2008