Evaluation & Validity of Web Resources

• Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills for World Wide Web Resources
  http://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/webeval.htm

  This site, created by two reference librarians at the Wolfgram Memorial Library of Widener University and included as part of a module in their teaching pyramid, provides a set of checklists to help users analyze the quality of the information at various websites. Types of pages include advocacy, business/marketing, informational, news, and personal web pages. Criteria explained include authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. As information proliferates on the web, users need to be aware of information quality considerations. This site is a good place to start for that awareness. Includes web site examples for every criterion, plus Powerpoint and text based materials. Credit is given to Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener University, Chester, PA.
  Consider:
  Criterion #1:AUTHORITY
  

  what are the authors qualifications/credentials?
  Criterion #2: ACCURACY
  

  how reliable is the information?
  Criterion #3: OBJECTIVITY
  

  is the material free from bias?
  Criterion #4: CURRENCY
  

  is the material up-to-date?
  Criterion #5: COVERAGE
  

  what is covered and how in-depth?
  

• Evaluating Quality on the Net
  http://www.tiac.net/users/hope/findqual.html
  In-depth look at evaluation criteria with links to web sites that illustrate the points.
  
  
• Evaluating Internet Information
  http://www.medlib.med.utah.edu/navigator/discovery/eval.html
  Criteria for evluating Web information along with links to several review sites.
  
  
• Internet Source Validation Project
  http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/Curriculum/Validate/validate.html
  Guidelines for students using the Web for research purposes and for teachers training their students to use the Web.
  
  
• Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources
  http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/instruct/critical.htm
  Questions to ask when considering the validity of a web site.
  
  

Course Syllabi

Web References

This page was last updated 1/12/98 by Dr. Cheryl Wissick. Send comments to:
CherylW@ed.sc.edu