The purpose of website evaluation is for students to better determine the quality of information that is provided on the internet.  With almost 50 million websites in existence today, incorrect and falsified information is bound to exist.  Knowing the basics of determining the accuracy of a website, one could then master the skill of finding useful and acceptable information for whatever purpose they may be searching information for.

Click on the Website Evaluation Rubric link above.  Here is a typical list of things to look for when considering to use the information presented on a website.  Print out the rubric and begin the evaluation on any site of your choosing.  Be sure to look at the overall presentation of the page, what organization it is affiliated with, any additional sources or references, and what credentials does the other or organization possess.

Some examples of GOOD websites:

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/

This site is in affiliation with PBS- the Public Broadcasting system.  The site loads up quickly and it offers a search engine and many additional links to information.

http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html

This site is affiliated with Indiana University School of Law, a respectable and distinguished educational institution.  Any website with .edu will be from a college or university.

Some Examples of BAD websites:

http://earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/

This site takes a long time to load up and has numerous pop-ups.  There is no where on the site that tells what organization designed the site.  The first time I clicked on the link to email the designer of this page, an advertisement opened up instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther

The problem with wikipedia.com is that anyone can update information on this "encyclopedia" at any point. It is an unreliable source and should be avoided at all costs.