WATERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA
CENTER
You can't
always trust what you find on the Internet. Use this checklist to
judge for yourself whether a website is good or bad.
Credibility
- Can you find the author or
owner of the site?
- Is he or she an
expert?
Accuracy
- Are there any spelling or
grammar mistakes on the page?
Reliability
- Does the site contain any
bias? Is the site trying to convince or persuade you about
something?
- Does the information agree
with the information you can find in a book or on another
website?
Relevance
- Does the information on the
website help you to answer your research question?
Date
- Is the information up to
date?
- Does the site tell you whet
it was last updated?
Source
- Is the information based on
primary or secondary sources?
- Does the author cite his or
her sources? Does it say where the author got his or her
information?
Scope/Purpose
- Who is the intended
audience?
- What is the range of
information?
- Can you understand it? Is
it too advanced or too simple?
Tips
- Check the header and footer
information to determine the author
- In a URL a "tilde" (~)
usually indicates a personal website
- In order to verify an
author's credentials you may need to consult another source
- Check and compare the site
to other sites dealing with similar information
Home/Top of
Page
Watertown
Middle School Library Media Center
Watertown,
Massachusetts
Linda Picceri,
Library Media Specialist
Brenda Connors,
Library Aide
For Questions
or Comments contact:
lpicceri@watertown.k12.ma.us
Last Revised
11/04/05
Copyright 2001
Watertown Middle School