Dance 370

This link will take you to an excellent handout to assist you with your citations.  Courtesy of the Coates Library, Trinity University.

The Ithaca College Library is the source for this excellent guide to primary and secondary sources.

How to Evaluate a Web Page

To evaluate a Web page look for:

• Purpose: Why was the page created? To: Inform; Entertain; Share information; Advertise/Sell a product or service (business/marketing); Influence views, beliefs, elections (advocacy); Provide up-to-the-moment news; Personal enjoyment.
• Sponsor/Owner: On what type of Internet provider or organization does the page reside? (Provenance.) Government agency; Educational; Business/Company; Association: Professional, Trade, Entertainment; News bureau; Personal (Individual).
• Organization and Content: Is the page organized and focused? Is it well designed? Is the text well written? Are the links relevant and appropriate? Are the links evaluated?
• Bias--political or issue stance (of the author or sponsor).
• Date of Production/Revision: When was the Web page produced? When was it last revised? How up-to-date are the links? Are the links still viable?
• Usefulness: Is the Web page relevant to the current research project?
• Authority/author Who is responsible for the page? Is the author an expert in this field? What else has he/she written or produced? Does the author provide an e-mail address? How accurate is the provided information? Is a bias evident?
• What is it? Web-only page, journal article, government source, blog, etc.?
• Audience: To what type of reader is the Web page directed?
• Coverage: Does the page cover the topic comprehensively, partially or is it an overview?
• Illustrations: Are the graphics clear in intent, relevant and professional looking? Do the graphics add to or enhance the content?
• Security Are security and/or encryption systems employed when necessary?