Questions you should ask when you evaluate a website:
Responsibility – one of the most important steps in evaluating Internet resources is to establish responsibility for creating and updating the site and the information contained therein. Establishing accountability is a difficult process because the Web resources are not always sufficiently precise concerning this issue. Responsibility must be shaped by information on the author / authors of the texts, his qualifications / editor approached their field or authority has approved their inclusion on the site.
Rating scale:
1. The specified organization, company or person responsible for the content of the site? This information is essential to verify the information presented.
2. If the site belongs to an organization department, offered information on the latter? Knowledge organization paternal identity, which has final responsibility for the content of the departmental website, can help to legitimate information in it.
3. This includes contact information on the organization, company or person responsible for the content of the site? No matter what form – telephone or fax number, mailing address or e-mail – such data identifies authority and provides the possibility of contacting them to obtain additional references.
4. Provides information on experience in the field approached the organization, company or person responsible for the content of the site? The presentation of these references is more important when the responsibility for the content of this website belongs to a well-known authorities in the field concerned ..
5. It specified the copyright holder? Often, the copyright owner is the same person responsible for the content, otherwise, specifying it can provide additional information on the site.
6. Who is the author of a particular text? The author is a well known personality in the field? If there is no personality in the field: it is quoted by someone famous?
Accuracy – for websites, the accuracy can be defined as a result of the value of truth and accuracy of information contained form in which they are presented. Determination accuracy is a difficult undertaking because many stages of evaluation proposed text for many traditional media publishing are not covered and where the texts included in Web pages. Until now the Internet resources have not been established publishing conventions similar to those accepted for printed documents.
Rating scale:
1. The document is quoted in another document?
2. Included are references to other sources?
3. Mentioned sources of factual information was extracted and used in statistical reasoning? The reference to these sources for verifying the authenticity of information.
4. How information is presented? Although accuracy can not be considered a form of guarantee for the authenticity of the content, however pages with no grammatical errors, spelling, punctuation, etc.. profess interest facilitating the sharing of information shown by their manufacturers after the occurrence of these errors cm demonstrates a lack of quality control which must raise questions about the content and information.
5. Tables, graphs, figures included in the document are easily read and used for informational purposes pursued?
Objectivity – is the quality of this factual information without distortion. Whether information should be included in Web sites are facts, opinions and propaganda.
Rating scale:
1. Document the author’s relationship with the organization, company or person responsible for the content of the website is indicated? It is this relationship likely to influence the objectivity of the author? It is important to know to what extent does the authority responsible for the content of the site and begins to act responsibility of the author of a document hosted Web site.
2. The views expressed by the author: it is presented personally or on behalf of the organization to which part? Seeking to impose a particular author or organization favorable solution to which it belongs? Seeks to promote products and services marketed by them?
3. There are ads on the site? If so, it is clear the relationship between the site responsible for the content and organization of the advertiser? Commercial data are clearly differentiated from the rest of the information?
4. If the site has sponsors, are they declared? What is the relationship with them and to what extent can influence the information content? Included are links to sponsors sites so that users can obtain more information about them?
5. The document is included in the author’s personal Web page? Many personal Web pages are questionable in terms of objectivity of the information presented.
News - is the quality of information up to date. Usually, the first page is included since the last update of the information contained on this site. For statistical data should be links to original sources from which they were extracted. Original sources, usually indicates when statistics were collected.
Rating scale:
1. The specified date on which the document was created?
2. It specified the inclusion of the document to the site?
3. It is stated on the site last updated?
4. Date last updated is indicated for each document included in the site?
5. If the document has been published in various editions, the edition indicated that part included in the website version?
Coverage and target audience. Coverage is defined by topics and depth of treatment. The target audience is the group to which information users is dedicated to the site.
Rating scale:
1. What are the categories of information included on this site? These categories can be difficult to determine when there is an index or site map.
2. What is the level to address issues?
3. If there is a print equivalent, specify whether the Web version is a full version or an extract?
4. What is the target audience? If the site addressed to several categories of users are enclosed information corresponding to each category?