Website Directory Foundation Contacts About Capital Library Home Page

Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites

AUTHORITY
Does the person, institution or agency responsible for a site have the qualifications and knowledge to do so?
Is the author of the page identified? Yes No
Is contact information for the author provided? Yes No
Does the author state his/her qualifications or credentials? Yes No
Check the domain. Can you ascertain where the document is published? Yes No

PURPOSE
The author should be clear about the purpose of the information presented in the site. Some sites are meant to inform, persuade, state an opinion, entertain, or parody something or someone.
What is the purpose of the site and does the content support it? Yes No
Does the domain name of the site indicate its purpose? Yes No
Is the site well organized? Yes No
Are the links appropriate and up to date? Yes No
Is the site geared toward a specific audience ( students, scholars, general reader)? Yes No

CURRENCY
It is important to know when a site was created, when it was last updated, and if all of the links are current.
Is the date the information was placed on the web given? Yes No
Is the date the information was last revised given? Yes No
Are the links up-to-date? Yes No
If the information is dated is it still relevant? Yes No

OBJECTIVITY
Objective sites will present information with a minimum of bias, without the intention to persuade.
Is the information presented without a particular bias? Yes No
Does the site avoid advertising that may be a conflict of interest with the content? Yes No
Does the site avoid trying to persuade or sell something? Yes No

ACCURACY
It is the responsibility of the reader to beware of the information presented. Be sure to differentiate fact from opinion.
Is the institution affiliated with a known organization or institution? Yes No
If statistics and other factual information are presented, are references given? Yes No
From the reading you have already done on the subject does the information on the site seem accurate? Yes No

The more "yes" boxes you check the more reliable the site is apt to be.