Website Evaluation in 4 easy steps By Bonnie McCormick

Not all websites are created equal…

So, before you use a website, R.E.A.L. You need to get

R ead the URL… Look for the owning entity (person, company, or organization) in the website address (URL). Are they an authority on the subject? Are they trying to sell you something? Might they be biased? Identify the URL extension:.gov,.com,.mil,.edu,.org,.net

E xamine the content… Based on what you already know about your topic, is the information on the website useful & accurate? Are additional links and resources provided? Is the site current and updated? (look for a date, often at the bottom of the webpage)

A sk about the author or owner… Sometimes the author is hard to find. Look for clues in the URL or the “about us” pages Note: an ~ before a name means that you are on a personal webpage

L ook at the links… Look at links to other websites. Are the links credible? Use altavista.com to look for “back” links by typing link:

B e a smart and responsible researcher… R.E.A.L.

WORKS CITED November, Alan. Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press Ohlone College Library. “Evaluating Websites or How “Emma” and “Len” Quickly Selected the Best Web Sites and Had Enough Time Left Over to Go For Coffee Before Class.” 23 Nov Online video clip. YouTube. Accessed on 6 Sept Students, Microsoft® Clip Organizer Microsoft Corporation Redmond, Washington. Brandt, Sherry. Get R.E.A.L. adaptation. Argyle: Harpool Middle School Library