This form will help you
to address the important issues in evaluating the scholarly value of a Web
site. You can use the following
questions to evaluate any web site.
If you are completing this form for a class assignment, you can print it
out and write in your answers on the printed out form. As an alternative, you can also download
a version of this form in Microsoft Word format
to use.
Name:
Email address:
Class:
For this exercise you may
either evaluate a web site from the examples linked to below, or you may choose
to evaluate a web site of your own choosing. If you select one of our examples,
the Web site will open a new window of your Web browser. Click back and forth
between the Web site and your browser to answer the questions raised in this
form.
Choose a website to
evaluate:
The Republic of Texas web site
Other (write in the
site’s URL):
Who is the author?
Have you heard of this
author before?
What are the author's
credentials
What is the sponsoring
institution?
Have you heard of this
institution before?
When was the page first
published?
When was it last updated?
Does the date matter?
Is the author's
motivation in making the page stated or unstated?
How does the author
describe his or her motivation? Why do you think the author created this page?
What point of view is
expressed in this site?
How does the opinion
affect its trustworthiness? Does the opinion invalidate the argument being
made? What might have been omitted because of the author's opinion?
Does the page present
consistent information
Has the author edited the
page for spelling and grammar?
Is this page: Scholarly? Popular? A
Joke? Lunatic?
Does the information seem
complete?
What, if anything, is
left unmentioned or ignored?
Do you think your
professor would want you to use this page?
Last updated: 9/7/05