Mansfield Library Subject Guides
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EVALUATING WEB PAGES
Types of Web Pages | Types of Web Page Address Domains | Criteria for Evaluation |
Tips for Smarter Web Searching | Sites
For More Information | Web Page Evaluation Checklist
Research materials in both print and non-print formats must be evaluated for their usefulness, reliability, and appropriateness. In print resources, established criteria such as reputable publishers, peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals, and papers from recognized authorities in a particular subject area, are often used to establish the quality of the information.
Because there are no formal standards for web page development, web page evaluation is even more critical. Latest figures estimate the number of web pages to be at least 11.5 billion pages or more as of January 2005. It is often more difficult to evaluate information found on the web because of the increasing growth rate, lack of overall organization, and the fact that anyone can "publish" a web page. Understanding the types of web pages that are available and what kind of information to use to evaluate them will enable effective and appropriate use of web page resources.
Advocacy: These pages attempt to influence public opinion. Their web address frequently ends with .org (organization).
-
e.g. The
Democratic Party
e.g. The Republican Party
Marketing/Business: These pages are sponsored by a commercial body and are used primarily to promote or sell products. Their web address frequently ends with .com (commercial).
Informational: These pages present factual information. Educational institutions or government agencies often sponsor these pages. Their web addresses end with .edu and .gov, respectively.
News: These pages present extremely current information. Their web address often ends with .com (commercial).
-
e.g. CNN
e.g. Google News
Personal: These pages are published by an individual who may or may not be affiliated with a larger institution or organization. Their web address may have a variety of endings (.com, .edu, etc.), and will frequently contain a tilde (~).
Types of Web Page Address Domains
The address of a web page often carries information about the source of the information. All web pages have at least one domain name that represents the computer IP (Internet Protocol) address where the web page is stored. Each domain name also has a suffix that denotes the type of top-level domain for the web page. Domain names are registered on the internet and are controlled by the registered owner. There are 6 primary top-level domain categories for U.S. web pages:
| .com (commercial) |
commercial sites that usually promote or sell products |
| .edu (education) |
ranges
from serious research to student pages |
| .gov (government) |
factual
information, usually reliable |
| .mil (military) |
United
States military sites |
| .net (network) |
network
providers that include both commercial and individual sites |
| .org (organization) |
not-for-profit organizations, usually advocacy pages |
Additionally, there are some new top-level domains that you may see when searching the web:
- .aero (for air-transport industry)
- .biz (for businesses)
- .coop (for cooperatives)
- .info (for all uses)
- .museum (for museums)
- .name (for individuals)
- .pro (for professions)
Foreign country web pages use a 2-letter code to indicate the country of origin in their domain names. Use the The Standard Internet Country/Domain Abbreviations to look up these country codes.
Author/Sponsorship: Determine the author or sponsor of the page. Look for credentials of the author and contact information, including e-mail address, phone number and postal address. From the author's credentials provided, determine if they are qualified to write this page. What is the top-level domain for the web page? Visit the home page for the site that hosts the information.
Accuracy: Check the page for accurate information.
-
e.g. True
but Little Known Facts About Women with AIDS, with Documentation
e.g. CDC Division of AIDS/HIV Prevention
Coverage/Scope: Determine the intended audience for this page. What is the depth of coverage for the information presented? Is the purpose of this page to inform, explain, persuade, market a product, or advocate a cause?
Objectivity: Determine if the material is presented without any political, ideological, cultural, religious, or institutional biases. Check for any conflicts of interest.
-
e.g. Greenpeace
e.g. Global Warming
Currency: Determine when this page was created or last revised. Determine how often the material on this page is updated. Is the material current and up-to-date? Determine if the page is complete or still "under construction." Do the hypertext links on this page send you to active web pages?
-
e.g. BBC
News
Other: Determine if the page requires any special software to use the material on the web page. Is the material only accessible via a subscription? Many web pages have usable information, but it is not freely available. This is often called "the invisible web," since many web search engines cannot access these pages. Also be prepared to find pages that blend their presentation to include information, entertainment, and advertising. These pages require careful critical evaluation.
-
e.g. Federal
Tax Forms
Tips
for Smarter Web Searching
Use advanced search screens for the general search engines and take advantage of available limiting features, such as domain name limiting.
Use subject directories as a more efficient method for locating reputable web sites. Subject directories use people to select and evaluate web sites for academic content and provide access to these reviewed web sites. In contrast, the general search engines use computer programs (called "robots" or "spiders") to access large numbers of web sites with no evaluation of their content. Subject directories vary in their level of selectivity, but all are useful for finding quality information on the web. Subject directories retrieve fewer results than general search engines because they exclude sites that have little or no academic value. These are excellent sources to use for finding academic material on the web.
Article by Paul S. Piper--
Better Read That Again: Web Hoaxes and MisinformationFor assistance with citing electronic resources, try these sites--
Address (URL) of web page being evaluated:
Author/Sponsorship
- Who
is the author of this web page?
- What
contact information for the author is given?
- e-mail address:
- postal address:
- phone
number:
- What
credentials qualify this author to write this web page?
- Which
URL domain supports this web page?
- .edu
- .gov
- .org
- .com
- .net
- other:
Accuracy
- Are
there sources (references) provided for any factual information?
- Is this page free of grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors?
Coverage/Scope
- Who
is the intended audience for this page?
- Does
the page meet the needs of the its stated audience?
- Is the
topic covered in-depth or is it a brief overview?
Objectivity
- Does
this page present its information with any political, ideological,
cultural, religious, or institutional biases?
- Does
the author of this page show any conflict of interest?
- If the
information presented is an opinion, is this clearly stated?
Currency
- What
is the date this page was created or last revised?
- Is there
any indication of how often the material on this page is updated?
Other
- Is any
special software needed to access the information on this page?
- Are
you denied access to any of the information on this page?
NEED ASSISTANCE? ASK A REFERENCE LIBRARIAN!
Last Updated: 25 September 2006.