4. Evaluation Criteria
Authorship – Do the authors have authority
on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency – Is this site out of date for your
topic?
Accuracy – Works cited? Does the
information fit with what you know?
Purpose – Why was the site created?
5. Who is the author?
Look for an “About Us” link on the page.
Is it a personal page? Check for a tilde (~) in
the URL.
If you can’t figure out who is responsible for
the page, try truncating the URL:
http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/ar
ticles/am_left.htm
8. Let’s Practice
Carefully read the following question
and then examine the two websites
to see which would be the better
choice.
9. Which site would you use?
You are writing a research paper about theologian Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis for his opposition
to Hitler. Which of the following sources would be a better
place to get an overview of his life and work?
A. Bonhoeffer
www.pbs.org/bonhoeffer
B. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
10. Which site would you use?
You are writing a research paper about the collapse of the
Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a history class. Which site
provides better information about bridge aerodynamics for you
and your audience?
A. Computational Bridge Aerodynamics
www.bridgeaerodynamicslab.us/index.htm
B. Mark Ketchum’s Bridge Aerodynamics Page
www.ketchum.org/wind.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
11. Which site would you use?
You are writing a research paper on Sojourner Truth and want to
find verifiable biographical information about her. Which of the
following sources would be the better choice?
A. San Antonio College LitWeb
www.alamo.edu/sac/english/bailey/struth.htm
B. Sojourner Truth – African American Historical Figure
http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
12. Which site would you use?
You are writing an essay exploring the life and work of Chinua
Achebe and want to learn more about Achebe’s views. Which
of the following sources would be the better choice?
A. Chinua Achebe
www.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm
B. The Failure Interview: Chinua Achebe by Jason Zasky
failuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/chinua_achebe
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
13. Which site would you use?
You are writing an essay about the health aspects of choosing a
vegetarian diet. Which of the following sources would be a
better place to get objective scientific information?
A. Meat vs. Vegetarian Diet
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/meat-vs-vegetarian-diet-your-best/
B. Vegetarianism in a Nutshell: Health
www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/vegetarianism-in-a-nutshell-health
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
14. Which site would you use?
You are writing a research paper exploring the pros and cons of
using “marriage promotion” as a means to decrease poverty
and improve families’ well-being. Which source below would
be a more reliable source of statistics? Be prepared to explain
your reasoning.
A. The Heritage Foundation
www.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda0306.cfm
B. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
15. Review of Evaluation Criteria
Authorship – Do the authors have authority
on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency – Is this site out of date for your
topic?
Accuracy – Works cited? Does the
information fit with what you know?
Purpose – Why was the site created?
