QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING WEBSITES
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D.
W -- WORKABILITY EVALUATION QUESTIONS
W1. LOADING SPEED
· Do all of the pages within the site load quickly?
· Does the graphic content load a long time after the textual content has loaded?
W2. WORKABILITY OF LINKS
· Are there many dead links?
· Do the links require helper applications or plug-ins?
W3. GENERAL WORKABILITY
· Is proprietary software needed? Are helper applications or plug-ins needed?
· Is the site almost always available, or are there frequent periods of unavailability?
· Do heavy traffic and/or limited connections often preclude site access?
· Are there options for downloading and running text-only and non-frame versions?
· Are there large-print or audio options for the visually impaired?
· Are there textual descriptions of all graphics for screen readers?
· Is it necessary to change system configuration for printing purposes?
Printable list of all evaluation questions
For a discussion of related gender issues, see Propelling young women into the cyber age: Gender considerations in the evaluation of Web-based information. School Library Media Research, 4,
or visit the Girls Tech website.