Evaluating Websites

Or how to get the good stuff!

How do YOU decide that you have

found a good web site?

Quality Web Site?

• The 1st one that comes up on Google

• Has great pictures• Looks professional • Has cool stuff on it like

animated cartoons• My topic is in the title

What do you think of this web site?

Click Here

Whale Watching

How about this website for a social studies

project?

War History

Need statistics to support your argument?

Crime and Punishment

%

Anyone can create a web site!

How do I look for clues about a web

site?

First look at the web address or URL.

http://www.facebook.com

Look at the ending of each web site or URL

• www.nytimes.com• www.centcom.mil• www.loc.gov• www.phila.k12.pa.us• www.redcross.int• www.unc.edu• www.metmuseum.org• www.timesonline.co.uk• www.scils.rutgers.edu/~rtodd

You’re doing a school project on the characteristics of Japanese

painting. What do you look for in a web

site?

Consider the 5 W’s

•What•Who•Where•Why•When

What is the web site really about?

Is it relevant to your topic?

http://www.theartofjapan.com/

http://www.koho-schoolofsumi-e.com/

http://web-japan.org/museum/paint.html -

Who put together the web site?• Author?• Author’s credentials (is it an expert in the

field?)• Author’s sources?• Check the bottom or edges of the page or

the home page for the author.

Who are the authors of these web pages?

•Skokie Case

•Skokie Controversy and Free speech

Where is the website from?

• University • Museum• Government

Agency

• Commercial Site

Where are these sites from? Do you think they

are reputable? • http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/chinese.asp

• http://web-japan.org/museum/menu.html

Now you know What, Who, Where…

When was the website put together?

Is it current? Do the links work?

When were these sites last updated?

• http://artcafe.net/ah/japan/

• http://asianhistory.about.com/od/warsinasia/p/SamuraiProfile.htm

Finally, Why did they put together

the website?

• Are they trying to sell you something?

• Are they trying to convince you about something?

• Is it biased? Does it express an opinion?

Why were these websites put together?

• http://www.babybushtoys.com/

• http://animalrightscoalition.com/

So, don’t forget on your next project, use the 5 W’s

to evaluate your web sites!

See you next project!