Evaluating Web Sites
Remember the P.L.A.D.S.
©1999 Chesapeake College Learning Resource Center
- Producer
- Level and Quality
- Author
- Date
- Source
1. Publisher / Producer
Knowing the producer of the site can give some insight into the reliability of the information contained on the site. Here are some things to check for:
- Who produced or published the site, and where?
- Well-known publishing company or small organization?
- Newsworthy vs. entertainment?
- URL: government (.gov), organization (.org), educational institution (.edu), or commercial site (.com)
- Background information from a home page or "about us" link.
2.Level / Quality
The source must be at least a College Level source of newsworthy quality. Look for:
- Clarity and accuracy
- Something that is not offered or found on other sites
- Well-chosen links
- Sufficient amount and quality of information
- Information better than or equal to that found in a book
- Academic or professional sites such as The American Medical Association's ama.com or the National Archives site nara.gov
- Current news sites, such as cnn.com, newsweek.com, or the washingtonpost.com
- Sites containing professional articles written in lay terms
- Adult, rather than juvenile, sites.
3. Author's Reputation
Check the background of the author by asking yourself:
- Who wrote the information on the site, a single author or compilation of contributors?
- Is the author qualified to write on this subject? What is his professional experience?
- Does the Web site contain a bio of the author, a home page with information about the author or organization, or an “about us” page?
- Does the author cite his own sources or provide any references to where material was obtained?
4. Date of Publication
To determine whether or not a source is up to date:
- Look for the date the site was created as well as the date of the last update.
- Check to see if the links are current or dead.
- Determine if the article is original or reprinted, and what the original publication date of the article is.
- Compare the data on the site to the print information you have gathered to see if the site’s info seems up to date.
5. Source
Why was the site created? Is it a personal, commercial, government, or an organization's site?
Is the site one-sided? Is there are hidden message? Is the site trying to persuade you to believe something or change your mind?
- The site should not be overly biased or judgmental.
- Determine if the author, or contributors, belong to a politically motivated group. If so, be sure to include another site that adds balance to the opinions given.
- Can you distinguish fact from opinion?
Web sites should be for informational purposes rather than for advertisement.
- Is the site trying to sell something?
- Is the information free or provided at a cost? Be aware that some of the information obtained from Web sites is not free. Check with the LRC before paying for any information that we may be able to obtain for free, especially newspaper, magazine, and journal articles.
The availability of the source should be checked.
- When downloading information from Web sites, you must determine if you need special software. Be sure to read all system requirements and determine if your computer can handle them.
- Can you get the information from the site, or must you send away for it?
If there is inaccurate information on this page, please send correction or comments to: lrcdesk@chesapeake.edu