Evaluating Websites

Subject

Subject: What is the text about? (topic)

Out of what exigency (opportunity) did the text grow? What is the context (time, place, social attitudes, historical events) that create the opportunity for the text?

Occasion

Audience For whom is the text

intended? (gender, age, race, political leanings, spending habits, hobbies, etc. )

Click the picture below of Martin Luther King Jr. and determine for whom this website is intended.

Purpose What does the writer hope to accomplish?

(express & reflect, inform & explain, evaluate & judge, inquire & explore, analyze & interpret, take a stand/propose a solution/argument)

Speaker Who is the author? What are the writers credentials? What is the writers expertise

(ethos)? Is there any way to reach the

author? Is there an organizational or

corporate sponsor? Does the author’s identity suggest

bias? Is this page authentic or is it a hoax? Is there a reference list?

Is this website REAL or FAKE?

Crop Circle Connection

Is the content appropriate for your classroom or your assignment?

Is the content accurate, complete, well-written? Is the content relevant to your topic or question?

Appropriateness and Relevance

CNN

Is the information on the page up-to-date? Can you tell when the page was last

updated? Are there dead links? Is there a difference between the date the

information was created and the date the page was last updated?

Currency

New Beginning for Life

Is the information clearly presented? Is the text neat, legible and formatted for easy

reading? If there are graphics, do they add to the content

or distract? If there are advertisements, do they interfere with

your ability to use the page? Are the pages well organized? Are there mistakes in spelling or word usage?

Clarity

Yahoo!

Can you get in? Does the site load quickly? Can you move around the site easily? Is the site or page still there next time?

Access

Websites vs. Databases What’s the difference?

Databases are usually collections of articles from a variety of sources that have been written and peer reviewed by scholars. Databases are not accessible to the general public without a paid subscription usually through a library or school.

Websites are free and open to the public. Anyone can create a webpage about any subject, whether or not they are an expert.

Wikipedia◦ Wikipedia is an open access encyclopedia that

anyone can contribute to and edit. It’s best to use Wikipedia to gather key words and people at the beginning of your research.

Some other things…