Web+Evaluation


 * Web Evaluation **

Anyone can post anything on the web. The internet has no editors, no fact checkers, and no judges to say what is good, what is bad, or what is truthful. Most importantly, there is no one to tell you what is safe.
 * Why is it important? **

You must learn to discard quickly what won’t be useful.
 * Ask yourself questions:
 * It this site too technical? Or too easy?
 * Do I already have the same information from other sources?
 * Does this site provide anything new?

** Step ONE: **
 * **Domain Name ~ Used to recognize one or more IP addresses.**
 * Check the domain name in the URL.
 * Is it from an educational institution (.edu)?
 * A business (.com)?
 * A government agency (.gov)?
 * A school (.k12)?
 * A non-profit organization (.org)?
 * An network organization (.net)?
 * The military (.mil)?


 * Step TWO: **

Use ** CARRDSS* ** to decide whether or not a website is reliable and trustworthy.


 * ** CREDIBILITY: **
 * Who created the page or website (author)?
 * An individual, an organization, a government?
 * A publisher? If so, what is the publisher's reputation? What else do they publish?
 * Someone with a special bias?
 * Ex. A major fast food restaurant claiming that french fries are "healthy" because they are a vegetable.
 * An expert in the field?
 * What are their credentials? What makes the author an expert on this subject?
 * Can you contact the creator of the site if you have questions?


 * ** ACCURACY: **
 * Does the information seem believable, accurate, or far-fetched?
 * Does the site make great claims which sound unreasonable?
 * Can you verify key facts, statistics, or other information in other sources


 * ** RELIABILITY: **
 * Does the source present a particular view or bias?


 * ** RELEVANCE: **
 * Does this information directly support my hypothesis/thesis/claim or help to answer my question?
 * What words does the author use to convince you about this information? i.e., use of //Qualifiers and Absolutes//


 * ** DATE: **
 * When was this information created?
 * When was it revised/updated?
 * Are these dates meaningful in terms of the subject matter?


 * ** SOURCES: **
 * Does the author cite his/her sources? If so, are they up-to-date, reliable or creditable?
 * Does the author provide evidence for his/her claims? Can the evidence be verified?
 * Do all the links work? Do they add additional information to the subject, or merely look like they do?


 * ** SCOPE **
 * Does this source address my hypothesis/thesis/claim in a comprehensive/complete way?

** @Website Evaluation Practice **

*** For Source information:**
 * @http://vtdoenetworks.pbworks.com/f/CARRDSS.pdf