Evaluating Web Sources Worksheet

Your Name: _____________________________________ Date: ________________

Name and Address of Web site: ____________________________________________

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To evaluate the Web site please enter the Web address in the location line of your browser. Use a separate worksheet to evaluate each Web site.

Complete the answers to the following questions below:

1. Authorship and Credibility: Can you determine the author of the site? When you are on an internal page of a site, the author may not be named. To find out who wrote the material or what group sponsored the site, try going to the home page. Is the author of the site knowledgeable and credible? Can you determine the occupation, years of experience, position, education, or other credentials of the author? Does the site offer links to the author's home page, resume, or email address?

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2. Objectivity? Who, if anyone sponsors the site? Does the sponsor have a reputation for accurate and balanced reporting? Does the sponsor have political leanings or religious views that could affect objectivity? Is the sponsor associated with a political interest group, such as Greenpeace or the National Rifle Association that might see only one side of an issue? Are opposing views treated on the site and if so, how fairly are both sides of an issue treated? Does language on the site show signs of bias? Note that a site's domain name often specifies the type of group hosting the site: commercial (.com), educational (.edu), nonprofit (.org), governmental (.gov), military (.mil), or network (.net).

3. Audience and Purpose: Who is the intended audience of the site?

Why is the information available (check all that apply):

_____ to argue a position?

_____ to sell a product or service?

_____ to inform readers?

Comments: ______________________________________________________

4. Documentation: On the Internet, traditional methods of documentation are often replaced with links to original sources. Whenever possible, check out a linked source to confirm its authority. Were there sites that linked to original sources? If so, what additional information did you obtain?

5. Quality of Presentation: Consider the design and navigation of the site. Is it well laid out and easy to use? Do its links work, and are they up-to-date and relevant? Can you determine when the information was last updated? Is the material well-written and relatively free of error? What does this site offer compared to other works on the same topic, including non-internet works?