Website Evaluation and Critical Thinking
A–Author
*Who created the page?
-How do we know that they’re qualified to write about this topic?
-Are they connected to any organizations that might make their information biased?
B–Believability/Bias
*Does the information on this site make sense?
-Can you back it up using information from other sources?
-Does this site link to other sites or ads?
-Does the author seem to present both sides of an issue?
C–Currency
*When was the site created?
-Has it been updated recently?
Website Suffixes
Sometimes, knowing the suffix of a website can help us learn more about the site as well.
.edu = educational institutions (schools, universities, and research institutes)
.gov = federal government agencies
.org = service-oriented, nonprofit organization
.com = commercial business (might try to promote products or sell you something)
.net = network organizations (could be anything–commercial site, nonprofit, or something else)
But be careful of tricky sites like this: http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/
Filter your search
Use Symbols (Search Operators)
Use symbols like -, *, @, and more to strengthen and refine your searches. Click here to find out how.
Domain Checking:
We can also visit domain-checking sites like DomainTools and BetterWhoIs to learn more about the owners of website domains and see what authority they have to publish the site. This can also help us discover biases in the information.
Snopes:
Check out Snopes if you have questions about some of the emails you’re received–this is a great site to check out various urban legends, myths, etc.
REMEMBER–websites aren’t the only place where you can find information:
If you’re not finding the information you need, check out a book or try some databases. If you’re still not finding what you’re looking for, think about the search terms you’re using and consider changing the topic you’re researching if possible.
REAL OR NOT?
Look at these three websites and decide if you believe they are real or not using the ABCs and the information above.
Thank you to the Denver Academy Library for ideas for this page.
