CAPOW – Website Evaluation Criteria           Miller School Library 

1. Currency

This is more important for some types information and less so for others. For example, sites that provide historical information, such as the presidential papers of George Washington, do not have to be updated as often as sites that provide news stories or health information.

2. Authority

Anyone can create a Web site. It is important to find out the author's identity and his or her qualifications or expertise in order to determine the credibility and reliability of the information.

3. Purpose

Some sites provide links to information (e.g., About Our Organization or a Vision Statement) detailing the purpose in creating the Web site. The purpose of other sites might not be obvious at first. Take the time to thoroughly explore a Web site to determine if the information is mostly subjective (biased or opinionated), objective (factual), or mixed.

4. Objectivity

Some sites provide information (e.g., About Our Organization) telling you why the site was created. The purpose of other sites might not be obvious at first.

Explore the site to determine if the information is mostly subjective (biased or opinionated), objective (factual), or mixed.

5. Writing Style

Look for grammatical and spelling mistakes. Look for ease of navigation – is the site easy to search?