To determine the quality and intent of a web resource, some criteria should be considered:
The part of the URL or web address at the end of the domain name (last decimal point or last decimal point before the first forward slash /):
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/index.html
Common domain name extensions as an evaluating criterion:
|
Extension |
Type of Web Site |
Typical characteristics |
|
.com |
Commercial |
For profit business or internet provider that allows customers to host private web sites |
|
.net |
Network |
Similar to .com, primarily internet providers |
|
.org |
Organization |
Not for profit organizations, may be informational or to promote a particular point of view |
|
.gov |
Government |
Government site presenting public documents |
|
.edu |
Education |
Educational (usually higher) institutions |
The person(s) or organizations creating the content. If known, are their credentials discernable? How do you know if this authority is credible and unbiased?
Is the intent of the web site to inform and/or educate in an impartial manner or is the purpose to persuade and provide an unbalanced point of view? Do you need to pay to get more information?
Is the site based on documented facts? Does the site list references or inform the user where data and facts were obtained? Are they unsupported, requiring you to find out if the information is accurate?
Can you tell when the content was created? Is there a date? Could the information be outdated?
Is it easy to get around (navigate) this site? Can you quickly get from one page to another within the site? Is there extensive discussion and presentation of the content or are there few web pages with marginal information?
In the end, there are no formal mechanisms for determining the quality and usefulness of web sites. You alone must decide using the criteria above whether or not the web site is a valuable resource or a dubious source of information.