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Evaluating Resources: Website Evaluation

This guide will help you learn how to evaluate the resources that you find in your research.

Is Evaluating Websites Different from Evaluating other Resources?

Books, journals, and newspaper articles have to meet stronger quality standards than those used for websites. Even though some quality material can be found on the Internet, anyone can create a website. This makes it even more important to evaluate and critically appraise any website resources you find.

You can still use the CRAAP test to evaluate your website, just ask more of these internet-related questions:

  • Does the URL suggest a reputable affiliation?
  • Is any sponsorship fully disclosed?
  • Can facts be substantiated elsewhere, like in reputable publications?
  • Are there references or links to other sources?
  • Do links provided go to quality sites and are they working properly?
  • Are the pages date-stamped with the last update?
  • Is there a link back to the institutional or organizational home page?

CRAAP Test with Website Additions

When researching on the internet, consider following this domain name hierarchy to find reliable information:

  • Education - .edu
  • Academic - .ac
  • Government - .gov
  • Organization - .org
  • Commercial - .com
  • Network - .net

The further down on the list you go, the more likely it is that the material can be unreliable or influenced by bias.

Watch this video from Oklahoma City Community College to learn more about evaluating websites.