Website Evaluation Assistance @ Social Studies World

Website Evaluation Guidelines

Over the last ten years, the number of websites on the internet has grown exponentially. This continued growth has led to more information being available quickly and easily than ever before. However, along with this information has come a problem for internet users, in attempting to sort the relevance and quality of the information they are receiving. Too often internet users rely upon search engine rankings to determine what websites they use, not knowing that search engines rank websites in different ways for different reasons, and those reasons almost never include quality of content. It is necessary, especially for Social Studies teachers and students, to have tools available to them to evaluate sites they are on that are quick and easy to use so that they can assess websites quickly. Below is just such a tool. If used properly it can help others determine the quality of a website they are looking at. This is designed primarily for Social Studies Students in grades 7-12, however, it could be modified for different grades and different subjects. For your convenience, a print button is located below, so that you may print the instrument out.

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Target Audience It is clear to the reader who the website was designed for. All or nearly all the content on the site are aimed at the intended audience
____
While a target audience is stated, the website has difficulty in gearing its content to that audience
____
Either there is no clear audience for the site, or the website fails in gearing most of its content to that audience
____

Contains New Information The site contains a large degree of interesting and important information that is drawn from a variety of sources and has true appeal to the reader. Overall, the content is original and not easily found in other sources
____
Information presented on the site comes either from a limited number of sources, of contains commonly known information. However, there is some unique information presented, and the information is presented in an interesting way
____
Information on the site does not go beyond very common, well-known facts that are common knowledge to most individuals. Information is not cited or dated, and the information is not presented in a pleasing manner
____

Accuracy All information is complete, accurate, current, believable, and contains complete sources with dates and authors, and appropriate links. Authors have sufficient credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate. Information is presented in an unbiased fashion that allows the reader to draw their own conclusions.
____
Most information is accurate and current, however, this may not always be the case, and it is unclear as to the source of information. Most information is believable, though some information needs further evaluation. Authors have some credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate, with little reservation. However, information on the credentials of authors of content may be lacking or questionable. Information has a viewpoint, but it does not detract from the information presented and allows the reader to make intelligent counterarguments.
____
Information is either incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, or is impossible to verify. Information is either unbelievable or has been discredited. Authors have little or no credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate. There may be no information on the authors at all. Information is presented in a clearly biased fashion that makes it impossible to distinguish fact from fiction, and there is no attempt to separate information from opinion. Viewpoints of the website are far out of the mainstream and do not invite intelligent conversation
____

Main Page of Site Main page of site is inviting and loads quickly. It is visually pleasing with a well written opening and easily navigable. It makes viewers want to continue looking at the page
____
The main page of the site contains an opening, but one that is basic and does not contain much information. Navigation may be difficult and certain parts may be distracting. Viewers may be unclear as to what to do and unsure as to how to continue
____
The main page of the site takes a long time to load due to a graphics scheme which makes the site difficult to view. The page layout is confusing and leaves the viewer unable to navigate the rest of the site. The introduction is non-existent or irrelevant to the site. The main page turns people off to the site and causes them to leave the page
____

Supporting Pages of Site Pages on the website are logical in their construction and sequential in their placement. Writing is simple, clear, direct, and holds the readers attention. Spelling and grammar are correct and paragraphs with transitions are used. Navigation is easy and clear
____
Pages on the website are somewhat logical in their presentation of information and sequential in their placement, but sometimes narration either is cluttered, incomplete, or doesn't make sense. The website contains a lot of interesting information, but sometimes the authors have difficulty in conveying that information. Some grammatical errors exist, but are minor and do not detract from readability. While paragraphs and transitions are used, they are not used frequently enough, as their are large blocks of text and some information seems thrown into place. Though the site is navigable, it may be difficult at some points to determine where to go next.
____
Pages on the website are not logical in their presentation of information or sequential in their placement. Information is unclear or unrelated to the main point of the site. Information is not linked in a logical order. Writing is difficult to comprehend and spelling and grammar errors are obvious and make comprehension difficult. The site as a whole needs extensive editing. There are no transitions and pages have no clear connection to one another. Navigation is impossible or extremely difficult to figure out
____

Layout of Site Layout is clear and easy to follow. Font and background colors enhance the ease of viewing and make viewing the site more enjoyable. Graphics and unobtrusive and contribute to the theme of the site. The site has a consistent theme with headers and footers. Navigation is easily accessible. Pop-ups are not used
____
Layout is simple enough to follow the information. Most pages have a related theme of graphics and information. Colors, font, backgrounds, and graphics, while mostly unobtrusive, could be better used
____
Layout is confusing and detracts from the information of the page, rendering the page largely unreadable. Pages have no clear design theme and vary widely in layout. Fonts, colors, and backgrounds used are visually unappealing and make the page difficult to read. Too many design techniques may have been used, or too many graphics have been employed, or the graphics have no connection to the content of the page. Navigation is impossible to find or use. Headers and footers either are not used, or are improperly used. Pop-ups are used frequently.
____

Links Links to other sites are extensive, appropriate, and contribute to the information presented. Links also are recent and work
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Most links are relevant and interesting, however, it is sometimes unclear how they tie in with the content of the rest of the website. Additionally, some links may be outdated or nonfunctioning
____
Links either are uninteresting or lead to irrelevant content, or have no purpose on the site. The links may have no information associated with them. Many of the links are broken
____

Graphics and Multimedia Icons, buttons, and graphics are appropriately used and enhance the overall experience on the site. They are unobtrusive and are consistently used. Multimedia resources, such as video, images, and sound, if they are used, contribute to the page and enhance the viewers experience on the site. They work properly and are in common formats and links are provided for users who need appropriate downloads. Graphics are optimized so that the pages load fast, and robust text-only options are available, and multimedia does not automatically load in all cases.
____
Icons sometimes help with site navigation, but sometimes are also inconsistently used or are unclear in their purpose, or distracting. Multimedia, when it is present, is usually relevant, but sometimes is irrelevant or adds little. It usually works properly and is in formats that some users would have, or that is relatively easy to obtain. Graphics are large and take a while (30-60 seconds) to load. Most multimedia automatically loads and the viewer is given little options about their content. Text-only options are limited
____
Icons or other graphics serve no purpose and clutter pages on which they're located. They are irrelevant and the page would be better if they weren't included. Multimedia resources are unrelated to the page and do not offer anything relevant. They are in uncommon formats that require expensive or difficult to install software, and frequently do not work properly. Additionally, graphics take far too long to load. Text-only options are non-existent and viewers get no options as to what multimedia loads. When users turn off graphics, the site becomes unusable
____

Overall Impressions This site is well thought-out and constructed. It is a site you would recommend to others with little reservations. It is strong in most areas, contains detailed contact information, and invites user feedback. Advertisements, if they exist, are unobtrusive and it is clear the site is not solely attempting to make a profit. It has clear relevance to the Social Studies and makes a valuable contribution to the Internet. This is an excellent site.
____
This site is fairly well thought out and it is clear that some effort has been made to construct a valuable site. It is a site you would recommend in certain situations to certain viewers. It is strong in some areas, but could use further work in others. A e-mail address is present on the site, though it is not clear what happens to information sent to the address. Advertisements do not make a large detraction to the site. It has some relevance to Social Studies and makes a contribution to the Internet, though the overall contribution could be stronger. This is a good site.
____
This site is not well thought out and appears hastily thrown together with no vision or clear purpose. It appears little effort was put into the website. It is a site you could not see yourself recommending to others, except in limited circumstances. This site needs a lot of work, or completely redone. No contact information is readily accessible on the site. The site appears to be primarily interested in making a profit, and this provides a clear bias towards information presented on the site, and detract from any information presented. It has little relevance to Social Studies and makes little, if no, contribution to the internet. This is a poor site.
____

Total Score:

27-25: Excellent
24-21: Very Good
20-17: Good
16-13: Average
12-9: Poor

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Copyright© 2004 Felix J. Yerace, all rights reserved. This site is a public, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the education and information regarding the Social Studies. This site is not published or sanctioned by anyone but the author. All attempts have been made to verify the accuracy of information posted on this site, however, all information, posts, and links may not meet your personal standards of quality or accuracy. All text, graphics, HTML and contents of this website are protected by US and International copyright laws and may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner unless as laid out in the terms of usage of this website. All responsible replies are welcome. Please click here for terms of useage, legal rights, and privacy notice.

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Target Audience	It is clear to the reader who the website was designed for. All or nearly all the content on the site are aimed at the intended audience ____	While a target audience is stated, the website has difficulty in gearing its content to that audience ____	Either there is no clear audience for the site, or the website fails in gearing most of its content to that audience ____
Contains New Information	The site contains a large degree of interesting and important information that is drawn from a variety of sources and has true appeal to the reader. Overall, the content is original and not easily found in other sources ____	Information presented on the site comes either from a limited number of sources, of contains commonly known information. However, there is some unique information presented, and the information is presented in an interesting way ____	Information on the site does not go beyond very common, well-known facts that are common knowledge to most individuals. Information is not cited or dated, and the information is not presented in a pleasing manner ____
Accuracy	All information is complete, accurate, current, believable, and contains complete sources with dates and authors, and appropriate links. Authors have sufficient credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate. Information is presented in an unbiased fashion that allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. ____	Most information is accurate and current, however, this may not always be the case, and it is unclear as to the source of information. Most information is believable, though some information needs further evaluation. Authors have some credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate, with little reservation. However, information on the credentials of authors of content may be lacking or questionable. Information has a viewpoint, but it does not detract from the information presented and allows the reader to make intelligent counterarguments. ____	Information is either incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, or is impossible to verify. Information is either unbelievable or has been discredited. Authors have little or no credibility established, either through reputation, or information provided on their website, to make viewers believe they are credible and that their statements are accurate. There may be no information on the authors at all. Information is presented in a clearly biased fashion that makes it impossible to distinguish fact from fiction, and there is no attempt to separate information from opinion. Viewpoints of the website are far out of the mainstream and do not invite intelligent conversation ____
Main Page of Site	Main page of site is inviting and loads quickly. It is visually pleasing with a well written opening and easily navigable. It makes viewers want to continue looking at the page ____	The main page of the site contains an opening, but one that is basic and does not contain much information. Navigation may be difficult and certain parts may be distracting. Viewers may be unclear as to what to do and unsure as to how to continue ____	The main page of the site takes a long time to load due to a graphics scheme which makes the site difficult to view. The page layout is confusing and leaves the viewer unable to navigate the rest of the site. The introduction is non-existent or irrelevant to the site. The main page turns people off to the site and causes them to leave the page ____
Supporting Pages of Site	Pages on the website are logical in their construction and sequential in their placement. Writing is simple, clear, direct, and holds the readers attention. Spelling and grammar are correct and paragraphs with transitions are used. Navigation is easy and clear ____	Pages on the website are somewhat logical in their presentation of information and sequential in their placement, but sometimes narration either is cluttered, incomplete, or doesn't make sense. The website contains a lot of interesting information, but sometimes the authors have difficulty in conveying that information. Some grammatical errors exist, but are minor and do not detract from readability. While paragraphs and transitions are used, they are not used frequently enough, as their are large blocks of text and some information seems thrown into place. Though the site is navigable, it may be difficult at some points to determine where to go next. ____	Pages on the website are not logical in their presentation of information or sequential in their placement. Information is unclear or unrelated to the main point of the site. Information is not linked in a logical order. Writing is difficult to comprehend and spelling and grammar errors are obvious and make comprehension difficult. The site as a whole needs extensive editing. There are no transitions and pages have no clear connection to one another. Navigation is impossible or extremely difficult to figure out ____
Layout of Site	Layout is clear and easy to follow. Font and background colors enhance the ease of viewing and make viewing the site more enjoyable. Graphics and unobtrusive and contribute to the theme of the site. The site has a consistent theme with headers and footers. Navigation is easily accessible. Pop-ups are not used ____	Layout is simple enough to follow the information. Most pages have a related theme of graphics and information. Colors, font, backgrounds, and graphics, while mostly unobtrusive, could be better used ____	Layout is confusing and detracts from the information of the page, rendering the page largely unreadable. Pages have no clear design theme and vary widely in layout. Fonts, colors, and backgrounds used are visually unappealing and make the page difficult to read. Too many design techniques may have been used, or too many graphics have been employed, or the graphics have no connection to the content of the page. Navigation is impossible to find or use. Headers and footers either are not used, or are improperly used. Pop-ups are used frequently. ____
Links	Links to other sites are extensive, appropriate, and contribute to the information presented. Links also are recent and work ____	Most links are relevant and interesting, however, it is sometimes unclear how they tie in with the content of the rest of the website. Additionally, some links may be outdated or nonfunctioning ____	Links either are uninteresting or lead to irrelevant content, or have no purpose on the site. The links may have no information associated with them. Many of the links are broken ____
Graphics and Multimedia	Icons, buttons, and graphics are appropriately used and enhance the overall experience on the site. They are unobtrusive and are consistently used. Multimedia resources, such as video, images, and sound, if they are used, contribute to the page and enhance the viewers experience on the site. They work properly and are in common formats and links are provided for users who need appropriate downloads. Graphics are optimized so that the pages load fast, and robust text-only options are available, and multimedia does not automatically load in all cases. ____	Icons sometimes help with site navigation, but sometimes are also inconsistently used or are unclear in their purpose, or distracting. Multimedia, when it is present, is usually relevant, but sometimes is irrelevant or adds little. It usually works properly and is in formats that some users would have, or that is relatively easy to obtain. Graphics are large and take a while (30-60 seconds) to load. Most multimedia automatically loads and the viewer is given little options about their content. Text-only options are limited ____	Icons or other graphics serve no purpose and clutter pages on which they're located. They are irrelevant and the page would be better if they weren't included. Multimedia resources are unrelated to the page and do not offer anything relevant. They are in uncommon formats that require expensive or difficult to install software, and frequently do not work properly. Additionally, graphics take far too long to load. Text-only options are non-existent and viewers get no options as to what multimedia loads. When users turn off graphics, the site becomes unusable ____
Overall Impressions	This site is well thought-out and constructed. It is a site you would recommend to others with little reservations. It is strong in most areas, contains detailed contact information, and invites user feedback. Advertisements, if they exist, are unobtrusive and it is clear the site is not solely attempting to make a profit. It has clear relevance to the Social Studies and makes a valuable contribution to the Internet. This is an excellent site. ____	This site is fairly well thought out and it is clear that some effort has been made to construct a valuable site. It is a site you would recommend in certain situations to certain viewers. It is strong in some areas, but could use further work in others. A e-mail address is present on the site, though it is not clear what happens to information sent to the address. Advertisements do not make a large detraction to the site. It has some relevance to Social Studies and makes a contribution to the Internet, though the overall contribution could be stronger. This is a good site. ____	This site is not well thought out and appears hastily thrown together with no vision or clear purpose. It appears little effort was put into the website. It is a site you could not see yourself recommending to others, except in limited circumstances. This site needs a lot of work, or completely redone. No contact information is readily accessible on the site. The site appears to be primarily interested in making a profit, and this provides a clear bias towards information presented on the site, and detract from any information presented. It has little relevance to Social Studies and makes little, if no, contribution to the internet. This is a poor site. ____