HIT: Web Site Evaluation pt 2

["Cheryl W. Stevens" <cheryls@NECA.COM>]

**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?
               o What are the link selection criteria if any?
               o Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?
               o Is the site inward-focused, pointing outward, or
  both?
               o Is there an appropriate balance between inward-   pointing
links ("inlinks") & outward-pointing links    ("outlinks")?
               o Are the links comprehensive or do they just provide   a
sampler?
               o What do the links offer that is not easily available
  in other sources?
               o Are the links evaluated in any way?
               o Is there an appropriate range of Internet resources
  -- e.g., links to gophers?
               o 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?
     _________________________________________________________
To contact the author, send mail to ecz5esg@mys.oac.ucla.edu

consult@ucla.edu

Last updated 31 July  95


Hello Cheryl,
     I have a hard copy of an issue from Classroom Connect (Sept. 96) with an
article titled "Information literacy and the Internet."  On page 5 there is a
nice checklist for evaluating onine information.  I'm not sure if this
specifically answers your question but some sections might be relevant.  The
major areas include:
What is the source of the information
Why is this information online
Who wrote the information, and what is the point of view of the writer
Does the online information contain links to other sites, and do they reveal
any biases of the author?
How recent is the information


      Sorry to reply so late, but perhaps this will help:
  _Classroom Connect_ had an article on information literacy in its
September 1996 issue.  It included a reproducible with a checklist for
evaluating online information Its main questions are:  "What is the source
of the information?  Why is this information online?  Who wrote the
information, and what is the point of view of the writer?  Does the online
information contain links to other sites, and do they reveal any biases of
the author?  How recent is the information?"  There's some explication of
each of these, and there are several other questions.
     There is an applications evaluation rubric available online at
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn.rubric.html.
  Good luck on your workshop.  I know I've learned lots from the ones I've
presented!

Cheryl W. Stevens
Library Media Specialist
Willimantic, Connecticut
cheryls@neca.com

Tolland High School
1 Eagle Hill
Tolland, CT 06084