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Nursing Education and Career Development: Evaluate Websites

If It's on the Internet It's Good, Right?!

Just remember it's called the World Wide Web. 

In nature, many unwary little creatures get caught in webs and find out too late that they have been had.  Though being able to share information freely on the internet is one of its beauties, it can be a challenge to:

Separate the really useful websites that are:

  • Clearly defined in Purpose (if to inform, by presenting facts, not just opinions, and not just to sell me something, if to persuade me, by not using bias, but by presenting multiple sides of an issue)
  • Reputably authored/sponsored (author and/or sponsor clearly identified, a well-known and/or suitably credentialed author or organization)
  • Authoritatively researched and documented
  • Well-designed and written
  • Regularly updated for currency (for primary content, not just a new image added, or font color changed)

From the pitfall websites that are:

  • Puzzling in Purpose
  • Casually authored (I only portray a doctor in commercials; don't look for a degree listed after my name)
  • Only occasionally updated (When was it put up on the web anyway, much less ever revised??)
  • Carelessly created (mostly just pictures and video that clutter it up, hard to navigate, difficult to read, with poor spelling and grammar)
  • Thinly researched (no Sources, Footnotes, Other Links)

But You Can Do This!

Evaluate a Website: Sample One

Use the Cornell University Rubric:

Accuracy:

  •  Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her? (Is an email, contact address/phone number given?)
  •  What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced?
  •  Is this person qualified to write this document? (Know the difference between an author and either a webmaster or web site administrator)

Authority:

  •   Who published the document and is it separate from the Webmaster?
  •   Are the author(s) credentials or affiliations listed?
  •   Check the document URL: What institution or organization published this document? Where?
  •   Is the information presented in the document cited correctly in a bibliography or reference list?

Objectivity:

  •  What goals/objectives does this page meet? (If the site is just a mask for advertising, the information might be biased)
  •  How detailed is the information?
  •  What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author? (Who wrote this and why?  Maybe this is really just like a T.V. infomercial)

Currency:

  •   When was it produced?
  •   When was it updated?
  •   How up-to-date are the links? Are there dead links?
  •   Is the page content outdated?

Based on the C.R.A.A.P. Test

The C.R.A.A.P. Test represents five basic criteria for evaluating a resource you wish to use in your work, particularly one you find on the internet.  The five aspects of the website to consider are:

  1. Currency
  2. Reliability
  3. Authority of the Author
  4. Authority of the Organization
  5. Purpose or Point of View

Online Video - "The C.R.A.A.P. Test"

Evaluate a Website: Sample Two

Use the University of Maryland Checklist:

Authority and Accuracy:

  • I can find a single author's name who created this site
  • I can find a group of people responsible for the site
  • I can find an organization's name that is responsible for the site
  • I can find the author or authors' qualifications on the site
  • The URL for the site tell me that it is associated with:
    • A company (.com)
    • An academic institution (.edu)
    • A U.S. Government agency (.gov)
    • The U.S. Military (.mil)
    • A non-profit organization (.org)
    • A computer network (.net)
    • A specific country (i.e. .uk (United Kingdom))
    • An individual webpage creator (www.ghenghiskhan.com)

Purpose and Content:

  • Stated or implicit purpose
    • Advocacy
    • Commercial use
    • Hoax/Counterfeit
    • Informative
    • Humor/Spoof
    • Personal page
    • Propaganda
    • Hacked information
  • Coverage
    • What topics are included
    • Are the topics explored in depth
  • Evidence of bias
    • Is there a minimum of bias?
    • To what extent is information contained on the site trying to sway

Currency:

  • Update frequency - is this historical data (a copy of an old map), or does it need to be current (e.g. stock information)?
  • Currency of links - are links from the page/site current, or are they out-of-date?

Design, Organization and Ease of Use:

  • Does the layout serve the user?
    • Is it logical? Well organized?
    • Are there "help" features?
  • Is the design logical and easy to follow?
  • How far do you have to scroll to find needed information?
  • Are buttons and boxes large enough?

The C.R.A.P. Test in Action: Websites