1. Evaluating a
Website
Adapted from Alan
November, 2013
1

2. Why do we need to evaluate
websites?

The World Wide Web is a lot like a flea market:
there's a vast selection of sites to choose from
but not a lot of order to it. Some sites are offered
by reputable "dealers" and some from
individuals who want to show off their personal
favorite items. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's
a hidden treasure, what's worth taking a look at,
and what's a waste of time.

3. REAL strategy
Before deciding to use a website for work
at school you should evaluate it
 Use REAL to help you remember!


4. R

Read the URL
 http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotter
andthedeathlyhallows/mainsite/index.html
Domain name: Do you
recognize the name?
Domain extension:
.com=commercial
which can be bought
by anyone
Everything after the
forward slash directs
you to a specific page
of the website. If you
delete everything after
the slash you will go to
the home page.

5. E

Examine the content
 Look
at the words, pictures, etc.
 Is the site up to date?
 Is the information correct? Check at other
sites.

6. A

Ask about the author and publisher
 Can
you find the author’s name?
 Is the author an expert?

7. L

Look at the links
 Where
do the links on the webpage go?
 What do other sites say about the webpage?

8. Before you use a website in your
research--evaluate it!

Use your own brain to make decisions!