Evaluating Web Resources...
Thinking
Critically about World Wide Web Resources
by Esther Grassian, UCLA
College Library
The World Wide Web has
a lot to offer, but not all sources are equally valuable or reliable. Here are
some points to consider.
Content & Evaluation
- What is the purpose
of the Web Page & what does it contain?
- How complete and accurate
are the information and the links provided?
- What is the relative
value of the Web site in comparison to the range of information resources
available on this topic? (Note: Be sure to check with
a librarian.)
- What other resources
(print & non-print) are available in this area?
- What are the date(s)
of coverage of the site and site-specific documents?
- How comprehensive
is this site?
- What are the
link selection criteria if any?
- Are the links
relevant and appropriate for the site?
- Is the site
inward-focused, pointing outward, or both?
- Is there an
appropriate balance between inward-pointing links ("inlinks")
& outward-pointing links ("outlinks")?
- Are the links
comprehensive or do they just provide a sampler?
- What do the
links offer that is not easily available in other sources?
- Are the links
evaluated in any way?
- Is there an
appropriate range of Internet resources -- e.g., links to gophers?
- Is multimedia
appropriately incorporated?
- Who is the audience?
- How valuable is the
information provided in the Web Page (intrinsic value)?
Source & Date
- Who is the author or producer?
- What is the authority or expertise
of the individual or group that created this site?
- How knowledgeable is the
individual or group on the subject matter of the site?
- Is the site sponsored or
co-sponsored by an individual or group that has created other Web sites?
- Is any sort of bias evident?
- When was the Web item produced?
- When was the Web item mounted?
- When was the Web item last revised?
- How up to date are the links?
- How reliable are the links; are
there blind links, or references to sites which have moved?
- Is contact information for the
author or producer included in the document?
Structure
- Does the document follow good
graphic design principles?
- Do the graphics and art serve
a function or are they decorative?
- Do the icons clearly represent
what is intended?
- Does the text follow basic rules
of grammar, spelling and literary composition?
- Is there an element of creativity,
and does it add to or detract from the document itself?
- Can the text stand alone for
use in line-mode (text only) Web browsers as well as multimedia browsers,
or is there an option for line-mode browsers?
- Is attention paid to the needs
of the disabled -- e.g., large print and graphics options; audio?
- Are links provided to Web "subject
trees" or lists of subject-arranged Web sources?
Other
- Is appropriate interactivity
available?
- When it is necessary; to send
confidential information out over the Internet, is encryption (i.e., a secure
coding system) available? How secure is it?
- Are there links to search engines
or are they built-in to the document?
Permission has been granted, by the author, for unlimited
non-commercial use of this guide.
To contact the author, send mail to estherg@library.ucla.edu
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