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Anyone with access to a server can put material on the web; there are no controls
on what people choose to write. As a result, web pages should be viewed with
even more caution than most print material. In particular you should look for:
- who is responsible for the site - is there a name and contact address?
- what is the rationale for the site - is it endorsing a particular viewpoint to the exclusion of other views?
- is there a list or bibliography of corroborative evidence?
- is there a date when the site was last updated - how long ago did this happen?
- does the site seem to be permanent or part of a permanent organisation?
Checklist
The more marks in the 'Yes' column, the more likely the website is to be credible,
| Analyse the sites you locate |
Yes |
No |
| Check for: |
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Name/s and contact address?
Is physical contact detail provided? Are there more ways of making contact
than just a single email address? |
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Presents a balanced viewpoint?
Content is comprehensive, focused and non-emotively presented? |
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Evidence of recent updating of content?
Is content up-to-date and covering current developments or issues? |
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Archive?
Earlier content can be accessed? Is there a site search engine?
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Site seems to be permanent or part of a permanent organisation?
Is the site stable? Are internal links and external links reliable?
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Domain appropriate?
edu, gov, org, com, etc? Domain address clearly identifies site's origin.
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Offline evidence?
The sites sponsors, arguments and ideas can be verified with other sources of information,
e.g. phone books, street directories, encyclopaedias, published research
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Privacy statement present?
Important on sites that seek registration of users. Would you feel secure providing your contact information to them?
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Does the "look" of the site suggest a professional effort?
Loads quickly? Looks reasonable in a variety of browsers e.g. IE, Netscape
etc.
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