Resources and Information

Steps in Developing a Report, Evaluation Guidelines

The process of evaluating a Web site involves a number of steps that can apply to the evaluation of any resource including books, television shows, and speeches. Students will want to find out who wrote or created the content of the Web site and what background they have that makes them an authority on the subject(s) of the site. This may be an individual, an institution such as a museum or a university, or it can be a company. Obvious bias or point of view will need to be noted.

Some clues to determine authority:

• Biography of the site developer
• Site that is part of a larger site known to have reliable content
• Site developer may be an established authoritative figure, group, or organization
• Other known, reliable Web sites may have referred to this site

Other considerations include scope and depth of content covered, site navigability, level that site is directed to, and many additional important considerations. Following are some resources on this important topic.

Each teacher has been sent Kathy Shrock's book, Evaluating Internet Web Sites: An Educator's Guide,as a resource to help in your efforts to teach students how to evaluate a Web site.

Evaluating Web Resources
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webeval.htm
This site, created by two librarians at the Wolfgram Memorial Library at Widener University, provides a set of checklists to help users analyze the quality of the information at various Web sites.

ICYouSee: T is for Thinking
http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html
A brief tutorial on using critical thinking when evaluating Internet resources. Though the tone makes the tutorial seem geared for a K-12 audience, the information will be useful for anyone not accustomed to using the Web as a research tool. The site includes a pop quiz and homework assignment. It is part of a larger Internet training tutorial from Ithaca College librarians.

Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources
http://www.lib.vt.edu/research/libinst/evalbiblio.html
Nicole Auer, Library Instruction Coordinator from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, has created this excellent bibliography of Web sites and articles which discuss site evaluation.

Teachers CyberGuide
http://www.cyberbee.com/guide1.html
Karen McLaughlin's evaluation form at this site is designed for secondary grades.