|
|
|
Guidelines
for Evaluating Web Sites
Introduction
Before submitting web sites, consult the following criteria (Hughes,
1977, Hughes and Whaley, 1999, Grassian, 1997, and Criteria for Assessing
the Quality of Health Information on the Internet - Policy Paper, 2000).
These
criteria are explained below.
Author’s
Qualifications
- What does
the site tell you about the authors and their education?
- How much experience
does the web site author have?
- What information
does the site give about the author’s certification and/or licensing?
- What is the
authority or expertise of the person who created the site?
- What motivated
the author to establish the site?
- What biases
by the author are evident?
- Is author
contact information provided?
Associations
- What is the
expertise of the sponsoring organization?
- Is the type
of organization stated (educational, professional, clinical,
etc.)?
- Is this organization
the type you would consult in professional practice?
- Does this
site link to the sponsoring organization’s site?
Content
and Validity of Information
- Why was the
Web Page made and what are its contents?
- Is the site's
purpose to market products and services or to disseminate valid
information?
- What does
the site say about the source(s) of information?
- Is contact
information given in case you want to check the source?
- How easy is
it to obtain the source of each document?
- How current,
accurate, and complete is the information?
- How often
is the web site updated?
- Is the site
peer reviewed; if so, what is the process of that review?
- Is an appropriate
discomplaimer included?
Delivery
and Disclosure of Information
- To what degree
is interaction provided? For example, can users provide feedback,
and is there a way to exchange information among
users?
- Are the objectives
of the site clearly stated?
- Does the content
of the site and its activities fit into the objectives?
- Are you given
clear directions about how to retrieve information?
- Is the information
appropriate for the target audience?
- If the site
collects information, does it disclose
its purpose for gathering it?
Usability
of Site
- How effortlessly
can you get to the site?
- To what degree
is the site user friendly?
- How easily
can you find your way within the site?
- How logical
is the organization of the site?
- Is there a
search engine within the site?
- How easily
can you execute searches in the site and obtain the information
you want?
Links
within the Site
- How easily
can you navigate to and from links within the site?
- Are those
links current and reliable? Are there references
to sites which have moved?
- How complete
and accurate are the links?
- What are the
conditions for link selection?
- How appropriate
are the links within the site?
- How does the
author evaluate the links provided?
References
-
Criteria
for Assessing the Quality of Health Information on the
Internet - Policy Paper. (December 6, 2000). Mitretek Systems. Retrieved
February 5, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://hitiweb.mitretek.org/docs/policy.html
-
-
-
Hughes,
Robert, Jr., Whaley, Kimberlee. Evaluating Web Sites. National Council
on Family Relations 61st Annual Conference. (November 10-15, 1999).
Hyatt Regency Hotel. Irvine, California.
|
