QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING WEBSITES

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING WEBSITES

FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D.

I -- INFORMATION EVALUATION QUESTIONS

I1. QUALITY OF INFORMATIONAL CONTENT

· How accurate is the information provided?

· Is the information primary source or secondary source?

· For primary source information, are the research methods adequately described and explained?

· For secondary source information, are the sources of information given?

· Is the website relatively free from typographical and grammatical errors?

· Is the information presented in an interesting manner, but not so creatively as to obscure its meaning?

· Does the website encourage ongoing learning, such as continued reflection and further investigation of the topics addressed?

I2. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY OF INFORMATIONAL CONTENT

· Is the information age-appropriate?

· Is it overly simplified or overly technical?

· Is background knowledge beyond the experiences of most young people necessary to comprehend much of the content?

I3. AUTHORITY OF AUTHORING/SPONSORING BODY

· Is the name of the authoring/sponsoring body readily evident?

· Is the author/sponsoring body a recognized authority in the field?

· What are the author's/sponsoring body's qualifications for presenting the information contained in the website?

· Is a physical address for the author/sponsoring body given, or is there some other method for verifying its existence and legitimacy?

I4. CURRENCY OF INFORMATION

· Is the information relatively current?

· Are the dates of initial site construction and most recent revisions included?

· Is the information updated often?

· Is currency highly important due to the subject matter (such as medical research) or less important (such as ancient history)?

I5. PURPOSE OF RESOURCE

· Is the purpose of the website (e.g. public education, product marketing, political lobbying) stated?

· Are any biases toward the subject matter obvious?

· Does the website exhibit any social biases (e.g. gender, racial, cultural, religious, age)?

· Is the user required to divulge personal information or to pay a usage fee?

· Is it obvious from the domain name where the site or page originates?