Anybody can put anything on the Internet. It is up to you to decide which information is reliable. Be critical and think about the quality of the information. Ask yourself the following questions. 

Authoritative?
* Who is the author? Qualifications?
* Where does the Web page originate?                                              
* Is the web site affiliated with any major institutions or organizations?

 Look at the Web address (URL) to determine this.

.edu	educational or research sites
.gov	Government sites--good sources of info
.com	Commercially sponsored sites
.org	Non-profit organizations
.us	United States

Current?
* Is the information current? Last updated?
* How up-to-date are the links?

Accurate?
* Is the information accurate? Does it contain spelling or grammatical errors?

Bias?
* What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, explain, entertain, persuade, or sell?

Easy to use? 
* Is the page easy to navigate? Easy to read?

Evaluate sample websites using the above criteria

Cloning Examples        Egg Examples

Diet Examples   English 101 Practice            

Eng 101 Assignment

Good Web evaluation/design sites
CSU Information Competence Project
http://lib.calpoly.edu/infocomp
tutorial and examples 

Web Developer's Virtual Library
http://www.wdvl.com/
"Everything you need to know..."

Webreview.Com
http://webreview.com/
authoring and design, for advanced users

Are you new to the web??  Try our Introduction to the Internet Tutorial:  a step by step guide to using the Internet.

 

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Last update 10/27/2008