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I. The Problem The Internet is a relatively new and untested information and communication medium.  As such, we need to evaluate, expand, and adapt existing criteria for evaluating content, as well as develop new techniques.  The Internet is a ubiquitous medium:  aside from questions of affordability, it is very pervasive in both authorship and audience.  A web address is now an international  information and persuasion medium The Internet can very well be an unregulated medium. As such, it is the visitor to a website who must have both tools and responsibility to discern quality websites. II. Eight basic types of website purposes: personal with biographic data, often called "vanity pages" promotional to sell a product "current" to provide extremely up-to-date information, as for newspapers' sites informational to share information on a particular topic or hobby persuasive as propaganda to convert you to particular point of view instructional to teach a unit or course of study; registration to register for courses, information, and/or products, accumulate a database of, and simplify communication with, registrants  entertainment! III. Contexts of website evaluation: header * body  *   footer * navigation IV. Five evaluative guidelines from the School of Journalism & Library Science: Authority  Who is responsible for the page? What are their qualifications and associations, and can you verify them? Check the footer for name of the web page author, his/her credentials and title, organizational affiliation. Is the information verifiable? Currency Are dates clear when the website was first created and edited? Check the footer for when the website was created, and when last edited. Check the content for news items, indications that the site is actively maintained, acknowledgements/responses to visitors Coverage  What is the focus of the site? Are there clear headings to illustrate an outline of the content?  Is the navigation within the website clear? Check the header for a clear title and web site description Check the content for headings and keywords Check the navigation to reflect content outline within the web site Objectivity  Are biases clearly stated?  Are affiliations clear? Check the content for statement of purpose, to determine the type of web site and potential audience for outside links for information external to the website for graphics and cues for affiliations Check the header/footer and URL/domain (.gov .com .edu) to determine organizational source of website and how this reflects on content type Accuracy Are sources of information and factual data listed, and available for cross-checking Check the content for accuracy of spelling, grammar, facts(!), and consistency within website Check content for a bibliographic variety of websites (external links), of electronic media (electronic databases of references, established (print & on-line) journals, of electronic indexes (ERIC), and of books for comparitative/evaluative purposes Study Guide Index