WRI207: Writing for the Workplace: Evaluating Web Sources

Authority:

• Is it clear who is responsible for the Web page? Who is the owner/publisher?
• Is it clear who wrote the material?  Are their credentials clearly stated? Do they have authority in the field?
• If the material is copyrighted, is the name of the copyright holder given?
• Look at the web address - the domain may help determine authority:
  • .com
  • .edu
  • .gov
  • .mil
  • .org
  • .net

Accuracy:

• Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed so that verification is possible?
• Is the information clear of blatant grammatical, spelling and/or other typographical errors?
• If there are graphs or charts, are they clearly labeled?  Is source information given?

Objectivity:

• What is the purpose of providing the information?  Public service, profit, or persuasion?
  • Is there a financial or economic value to the site?
  • Is the site designed to promote a particular idea or point of view?
  • Is the site designed to educate?
• Is the information free of advertising?
• If there is advertising is it clearly differentiated from the informational content?

Currency:

• Are there dates on the page indicating when it was written or last revised?
• Are there indications that the material is kept current?

Coverage:

• Is all the information you need available to you?  Is the site password protected?

(These criteria based on checklists in the book Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web by Jan Alexander and Marsha Ann Tate)