Quick Evaluation of a Website

The main reason you search for information on the Internet is because you want to know more about a subject/something.  If you are looking for a new recipe for chicken a personal website from someone who likes to cook might do the trick.  But if you are researching information for a report you might want to make sure the information you have found is accurate
The Internet is full of information.  But how can you tell if the information you found is accurate?  Anyone can create a website, and they put anything they want on that website, they can even lie about who they are! It’s just like anything else, shop around, visit several sites, and gather information.
Here are a few quick and simple tips for evaluating a website:

• Is there an author? Does the author have an email address?
• Is the author an authority on the subject? How do you know?
• For instance, if the author says he is the editor of a magazine visit that magazine’s website and check it out.
• Is this a personal page? Or is this page part of an organization’s website?
• If it’s a part of an organization’s website the information might be accurate
• If it’s a personal page the information might not be accurate.
• When was the page last updated?
• Does the page have a lot of spelling errors/bad grammar?
• Everyone makes a spelling mistake but a lot or errors are not a good sign
• Does the author cite other sources?
• Compare the information to others that you found.

Again, it depends what kind of information you are looking for on the Internet.  If you are looking for comments about the service at a particular hotel then you want their personal thoughts/feelings.  If you want information about a president you want facts.
Remember, the more information you gather the better informed you will be.