What you need to ask before using any web site:

1. Authority

• Who is responsible for the web site on which the web page resides?
  • Are there any clues on the web page about the larger site? 
  • Look for a logo or icon that may be a link to the main web site.
• What is the background of the author of the web site?
  • Is the author an expert in the field, a student or an organization? 
  • Has the author provided any information about herself and her qualifications? 
  • Use search engines to try and find additional information about the author's credentials. 
  • What is the focus or purpose of the organization?
  • Look for any links to a description of the organization.
  • Is there a way to contact the organization, company or person responsible for the contents of the site? 
  • Is the name of the copyright holder given?
  • Is the web site an educational site (.edu), a commercial site (.com), a nonprofit organization (.org) or a government site (.gov)? 
  • Does the site list any recommendations or ratings from outside sources?

2. Purpose and Objectivity

• Why has this information been posted and how objective is it?
  • Is the point of view of the person or organization obvious? 
  • If there is advertising on the page, is it clear what relationship exists between the author of the material and the advertiser? 
  • Is the purpose of the web site to inform or to broadcast an opinion? 
  • What audience is this web site trying to reach? 

3. Content and coverage

• How comprehensive is the web site?
  • Is there a large amount of information available or does the web site consist primarily of links to other web pages? 
  • Is the information presented on the page consistent with your knowledge of the topic?
• How accurate is the content of the page?
  • Is the page free of grammatical and spelling errors? 
  • Are sources provided for facts so the information can be verified?
• Are references or bibliographies posted on the page?
  • Is the source of the information stated or is a list of resources on the topic provided?

4. Currency

• How current is the information?
  • Web pages should state the date when they were created or updated. 
  • Are the links working and current? 
  • Does it state that it is an archival page?

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