EVALUATING WEB SITES
	Be aware that virtually anyone can create a Web site and post it online. Unlike conventional publishing criteria, there are no rules for controlling what type of information can be posted on a Web site. Online, it's possible to find true gems of information posted by reputable sources, but there is also misleading, and inaccurate information. How can one determine if the information is trustworthy? Students searching on their own are advised to use the A-B-C-D method of Web evaluation and check for the following:

	A=Authority Ask: who is responsible for writing the information? Beware of pages whose author cannot be identified! A legitimate information provider will clearly label a Web page and provide information about the author or organization responsible for the site. Many times, a site’s address will provide some clues. In most Web addresses, the three letters that follow the first period usually identify the domain extension and the type of information source. Some of the most common include: .com - a commercial source .edu - an educational source, such as a university .gov - a government source .mil - a military source .net - a network site, or companies mostly doing business online .org - a site posted by an organization ***Note ~ (tilde) -- when you see this symbol following a domain name, it usually denotes a personal page or site attached to an established site. Both of the following are on Thomas Jefferson. Can you tell who made them? http://www.mce.k12tn.net/colonial_america/thomas_jefferson.htm and http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html. New Domain Names Are Being Registered Now: .aero Aviation groups .biz Business .coop Cooperative such as farm coop or credit union .info May be used by personal and commercial sites .museum Museums .name Register a family name .pro Certified professional, such as attorney or doctor. Students should choose sites that are posted by recognized, reputable information providers. Contact information for the author or group should be provided on the Web site so that the users can e-mail questions or comments.

	B=Bias Students should evaluate whether or not a Web site has a particular purpose or whether there is some sort of bias or hidden agenda. Is the Web site offering all sides of an issue, or only presenting part of a picture? Does a group with a biased or special interest in a topic sponsor the site? If students are looking for objective information, they may need to look further. What can you determine about the nature of the following site? http://www.isil.org/resources/lit/new-declaration.html

	C=Comprehensive & Current Content Students need to evaluate if the content is appropriate for their needs. Material should be recent, accurate, and free of obvious mistakes. Coverage of a topic should be complete and contain enough information. Several online sites may provide similar information; compare and choose the site that provides the most valuable information in the most useful format. Would you find the following sites useful for assignments? http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/ http://www.eoearth.org/ How to Find Out When a Web Page was Last Updated This will work on some Web pages. Access the page and wait until it has loaded. Then erase the URL in the address bar and copy & paste the following   javascript:alert(document.lastModified)    After you hit enter, a popup box should appear on your screen that includes the date and time the page was last changed.

	D=Design Students should check that the site easy to navigate. All links to other pages within the site should work, as well as links to other Web sites. The page design should be pleasing and uncluttered, with easy to understand buttons and icons. What do you think of the design of the following sites? Are these Web sites easy to use? http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html

	Your Turn to Evaluate
	Look at the following 3 sites on the topic of immigration. Using the above criteria for evaluating the quality of Web sites, which of these sites would be the best for a student doing a research assignment on immigration? Immigration Challenges for New Americans-L.O.C. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/immigration/ FAIR Homepage http://fairus.org/ Immigration: Stories of Yesterday & Today http://teacher.scholastic.com/immigrat/index.htm