A Rubric for Evaluating Web Sites

Name of site:
URL of site: http://

Criterion
(Trait being evaluated)
Excellent
because . . .
Acceptable
because . . .
Unacceptable
because . . .
Authority
  • What are the author's qualifications to write about the topic?
  • Are the author's name and address on the site?
  • Check the domain name of the site (the part that ends with .com or .edu). Is the site affiliated with a reputable organization?



Content
  • Does the author present original material, or has everything come from another source?
  • Does the author present material in depth?
  • Does the author try to be objective? If the author is biased, does he/she make the position clear?
  • Does the site seem to be misleading?
  • Can you doublecheck the information for accuracy?
  • Has the information been updated recently?
  • Are links to other sources of information available?



Purpose
  • Is the site trying to sell you something? Does that affect the information being presented?
  • Is the site a personal homepage or a professional source of information?
  • If the site is about a controversial issue, does it present one side or both sides of the argument?



Design
  • How much advertising does the site contain?
  • Has the author paid attention to spelling and other basic writing skills?
  • Are the links current?
  • Is it reasonably easy to find your way around the site?



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