WEBSITE CREDIBILITY Upon completion of this lesson, the students will be able to answer the following: - What are the indicators that determine a web site’s credibility? - What does it mean to use a credible source? - Why is using credible sources important for school or professional work?

FIVE TECHNIQUES TO ASSESS A WEBSITE Authorship Purpose URL/Domain Name Currency Design

AUTHORSHIP Just because a website looks credible, do not assume that it is Authorship refers to who or whom is the author of the website Look for names or titles on the bottoms of the webpage, or in the “about us” section of most credible webpages. If you are looking at a weather webpage, you will want information from meteorologists, not doctors! Remember, anyone can make a webpage. Just because it has a name, it does not make that website a credible source! Has the author written anything else? Are they stating a fact or an opinion? Is it biased?

PURPOSE What is the purpose of the website? Is it to inform? Entertain? Persuade? If you are unable to determine the purpose of a website, it is not a credible source. Be cautious. Many websites contain information that is only OPINION, not FACT. These websites are not credible, as anyone can publish their opinion on the web. Websites that contain opinions will have statements such as “I think” and “I believe.” Websites that contain facts will have statements such as “Studies show” and “Research suggests…”

URL / DOMAIN NAME What is a URL or Domain Name? The URL of a website is the address to get to that website. All websites end in a specific way. Based on the way a website ends, you will be able to tell if it is a credible source..com – Commercial Site (most common—most can be trusted).org – Organization Site (private businesses or groups—some will provide credible information, while some provide opinions. Be cautious with.org sites).edu – Educational Site (these sites are great to use!).gov – Government Site (like.edu, these sites can be generally trusted)

CURRENCY Currency refers to how up-to-date, or current, is the website in which you are visiting. The newer the website, the more credible the information. The older the website, the less credible the information. You will find this information on the bottom of all webpages WHY is this important?

DESIGN Design refers less to the colors and pictures on the webpage as it does the layout. If a site is unorganized or cluttered, the information cannot be found easily. If the website is easy to navigate, however, the information can be found easily. This is the LEAST important of the elements of credibility.

ACTIVITY In your groups, look at the webpage given to you and answer the questions on the worksheet. Make sure to include all of the information from the sheet. We will be discussing the sheet as a class when you are finished.

Weather Sources: