Evaluating a Website

Evaluating a website is a skill that comes in handy, whatever it is you may be doing. It is the ability to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of information from a particular website. It is therefore important for students to learn how to evaluate a website in order to know if the information there is authentic or not.

Following are some basic questions to keep in mind when evaluating a website.

• What is the PURPOSE of the site?

• Why was the site created and what is it trying to convey?

• Is it trying to persuade to a particular bias?

• Is the main purpose of the site to sell something?

• Who is the author or authors and what is their authority on the subject?

• What education, training or experience does the person or group of people have to write with credibility on this topic?

(Note, to find author information, look for “about us,” “home,” “biography” or “credits.” If there are no citations listed or you can not find any information about who has authored the site, that could be a red flag.)

• How CURRENT is the information?

• Check dates to gain a sense of relevancy and timelines.

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom