• Who authored the page?
• What are the credentials of the author?
• Is the author associated with an educational institution or a professional organization?
• Is there a link back to a home page with information about the web site?
• Is there information on how to contact the person or organization responsible for the page?

• What is the purpose of the web page?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the page meant to inform or to sell something?

• Is the content fact or opinion; objective or biased?
• Is the content accurate?
• Is the content verifiable?
• Is there advertising on the page and is that influencing the content?
• Does the content have depth?

• What is the date of the web site?
• Is the information updated regularly?
• How well is the site maintained?
• Are the links relevant, appropriate, and functional?
• How stable is the site?

• Is the web site searchable?
• Is the site well-designed and logically organized?
• Does the site download quickly?

Written by Judy Van Buskirk 12/00

1. This site, about aborigines, is actually third on a Google search list as of 10/3/07. What can you determine about the credentials of the author?
http://users.orac.net.au/~mhumphry/aborigin.html

2. This site, for RYT Hospital, is quite comprehensive. Where is the hospital located? What is its phone number?
http://www.rythospital.com/

3. This site looks so appealing! What do you think?
http://www.thedogisland.com/index.html

4. Would it surprise you to think that one person could look up another person’s driver’s license number? What is your first (and very early) clue that this site may not be official? Complete the search page and view the results.
http://www.license.shorturl.com/

5. Lastly, what would your gut tell you about a site where the information could be altered by anyone at anytime? That’s what Wikipedia tells us about itself. See for yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About
While you are reading this, click on the Researching with Wikipedia link.

Written by Kathi Sigler 10/03/07