Success in College and Life - Website Evaluation
Match these domain endings to the type of website. .gov .org .com .edu
.gov - Government website .org - Organization's website .com - Commercial website .edu - Educational institution's website
Where do you look on a website to determine authority? What does it mean?
Authority refers to the author's expertise on a topic. To determine authority, look for an "About Us" or "About the Author" link/tab on the website and if the page is linked to the homepage of the organization.
Do you think the information presented in Website A is biased/unbiased?
Biased. The article strongly represents the viewpoint of those that defend the rights of immigrants and refugees.
A website that supports a good cause can never be biased. True or False?
False
On a scale of high, medium, and low, how would you rate Website B for currency?
I would rate it high. The website was published within the last 2 years, it informs of the dates when much of the information presented was collected; and there seem to be no broken links.
The two sites you looked at for this assignment--Website A and Website B--have .org endings. Does this mean they are more reliable than websites that end in .com?
Not necessarily, because websites ending in .org can have their own agendas and viewpoints.
It is necessary to be extra cautious when using information from websites because, unlike printed books and journals, web resources don't have established standards to ensure accuracy. True or False?
True
Based on your evaluation of the two websites using the ABCD system, if you had to write a research paper on immigration and healthcare today in the United States, which website would you use?
Website B
Based on your evaluation, which of the two websites has better documentation and why?
Website B, because much of the information and statistics it presents have an identified source.
Website B does not mention an author. Can you still evaluate it for authority and bias?
Yes. Even if there is no author, the organization responsible for the website doesn't appear to have an agenda and the information seems to balanced, with more facts than opinions.