Evaluation factors to consider:

Created by Susan Draus, RRDS Wiki

Purpose

• type of site  How to use "Google search" [3 minutes]
• researcher's purpose (Is this relevant to your needs?)
• website's purpose (inform or persuade)

               mission statement / "About Us"

               donation requests (advocacy)

               advertisements 

Authority

• author (not webmaster): credentials, Altavista
• publisher (copyright or tilde~)

 Accuracy

• can facts be verified elsewhere?
• investigate links

 Currency

• date written
• updated when?
• links functional or broken?

Recognition

• reader comments
• links to bookmarking sites like del.icio.us
• reaction to blog or blogger at Technorati
• citation to article by other researchers using Google scholar  and look at the "cited by" line     

Bogus Websites:  Widener University tutorial on Dr. King [10 minutes]

caution:  teachers affect the web (MLK website) 

                  domains opening up 

 WEBSITE EVALUATION GUIDE

                Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Are we, as teachers, being careful about our own sources?

Debate:  safety of Power Library vs. practical learning tool of Google 

                                  Chester County Library 

Annotated links for evaluation:

• Critical Evaluation from Discovery Education [evaluation tools for websites by grade, extensive list of bogus websites, plus evaluation advice for blogs, podcasts and virtual tours]
• Evaluation Criteria from New Mexico State University [includes clear evaluation criteria as well as rationale and samples, with many links to examples of authoritative as well as bogus websites, easy to use in classroom, advice for teachers as well]
• Evaluating Web Pages from UC Berkley [very detailed criteria for higher level students]
• Website Evaluation Chart from Purdue University [info on where to go outside the website to check credentials]
• Net Tutor [tutorial for evaluating websites, includes links to examples and brief quizzes; contains hints for using Google search]
• Evaluating Websites:  Criteria and Tools from Cornell University [collection of multiple evaluation resources, includes some video]
• Video on evaluating websites from Teacher Tube [3 minutes, adequate info, but an example of bad podcast production]
• How to evaluate Internet information from John's Hopkins University [highly detailed methods of digging deeply into website evaluation, senior high/college level]