Purpose

Audience

• Consider the intended audience of the page, based on its content, tone and style
• Does this mesh with your needs?

Consider the Source

• Web search engines often amass vast results, from memos to scholarly documents
• Many of the resulting items will be peripheral or useless for your research

Source

• Author/producer is identifiable
• Author/producer has expertise on the subject as indicated on a credentials page. You may need to trace back in the URL (Internet address) to view a page in a higher directory with background information
• Sponsor/location of the site is appropriate to the material as shown in the URL

Examples:
• .edu for educational or research material
• .gov for government resources
• .com for commercial products or commercially-sponsored sites
• ~NAME in URL may mean a personal home page with no official sanction
• Mail-to link is offered for submission of questions or comments

Content

Accuracy

• Don't take the information presented at face value
• Web sites are rarely refereed or reviewed, as are scholarly journals and books
• Look for
• point of view
• evidence of bias
• Source of the information should be clearly stated, whether original or borrowed from elsewhere

Comprehensiveness

• Depth of information: determine if content covers a specific time period or aspect of the topic, or strives to be comprehensive
• Use additional print and electronic sources to complement the information provided

Currency

• Look to see if
• Site has been updated recently, as reflected in the date on the page
• Material contained on the page is current

Links

• Links are relevant and appropriate
• Don't assume that the linked sites are the best available. Be sure to investigate additional sites on the topic

Style and Functionality

• Site is laid out clearly and logically with well organized subsections
• Writing style is appropriate for the intended audience
• Site is easy to navigate, including
• Clearly labeled Back, Home, Go To Top icons/links
• Internal indexing links on lengthy pages
• Links to remote sites all work
• Search capability is offered if the site is extensive

Laura Cohen
Network Services Librarian
lcohen@cnsvax.albany.edu