Algonquin College - Learning Resource Centre

Research - Web Page Evaluation Checklist

You may not be able to find information to satisfy every one of the following
criteria. Search Engines can be useful to find information about an author, an
association, etc. and also to find other pages with similar content for points of
comparison.

This checklist is also available in a Word document.

Information About the Page

There is a proper title.	yes	no
A contact person is identified with an e-mail address.	yes	no
The date that the page was last updated is identified.	yes	no
The sponsor or host of this page is clearly indicated.	yes	no
The page is completed and not still under construction.	yes	no

Content

The site's purpose is clear and its content reflects its purpose, be it to entertain, persuade, educate, or sell. The point of view is clear.	yes	no
The subject matter is adequately covered.	yes	no
The quality of the content is high and compares favorably with other sources in the field.	yes	no
The information given is factual and not just opinion.	yes	no
The page contains original work not just links to other pages on external sites.	yes	no
Annotations are given for links to external sites.	yes	no
The links are valid.	yes	no
There is enough information about the author to verify his/her credentials.	yes	no
The publisher is reputable.	yes	no
Appropriate copyright information is included.	yes	no
The content is frequently updated.	yes	no
The spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct.	yes	no

Design

The page loads quickly.	yes	no
There is a map or index of the site.	yes	no
It is easy to find the information on the page.	yes	no
The format is clear and purposeful: graphics add to the content, the text is easy to read, the background is unobtrusive, etc.	yes	no
There is a search engine.	yes	no

Worksheet (HTML) to use with this page.

Sample pages to evaluate:

The Beer Info Source
Cigars and Cancer - Some Important Papers
The Christian Science Monitor compare with The Drudge Report.
Compare with The Onion.
HSLS Health Resources Dentistry