©1996, I. Borrás
Site Evaluation
With the advent of the World Wide Web and the huge amount of information
that is contained there, WWW users have to learn to weigh the value and
reliability of that information.
The following are some criteria for assessing a Web site,
or document, in terms of source, content, design, and access. The criteria
may also help you to reflect upon the features you would like to see in
your Web project.
Site Evaluation Criteria
Source
- Who is the author of the site?
- What do you know about the author's credentials?
- Is the information presented objectively, or does it
reflect any sort of bias of its author?
- Is contact information for the author included in the
document?
- Is the author willing to accept feedback from site visitors?
Content
- How complete, clear, and accurate is the information
provided in the Web site?
- Is the information provided in the Web site available
in easy-to-reach books or journals?
- Is the content suitable to the expected audience?
- Is the content up-to-date?
- Is the content amplified over time, or is one visit all
it's worth?
- Is the information organized by the needs of the user,
or by any other organizational principle?
- Are headings clear and descriptive, or likely to be misunderstood?
- Does the site contain links to other sources of information
on the topic?
- Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?
- Are the links evaluated in any way?
Design
- Is the information in a page easily accessible, or it
requires a lot of scrolling?
- Do essential instructions appear before links and interactive
portions?
- Is using the site intuitive, or open to confusion?
- Are interactions secured if they involve private information?
- How many mouse clicks are required to access relevant
site documents?
- Do the graphics and art serve a function or are they
decorative?
- Do the icons clearly represent what they are intended
for?
- Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling
and composition?
- Do the text size and color make the reading of documents
difficult?
- Can the text stand alone for use in text-only Web browsers
as well as in multimedia browsers?
Access
- Does the document take too long to load?
- Do all the parts work?
- Is it usually possible to reach the site, or is it generally
"busy"?
- Is the site URL stable, or does it change frequently?
- Is the site open to everyone on the Web, or does it require
special privileges?
- Are copyright rules stated upfront?
Other Site Evaluation Sources
OII Feedback Form for Educational
Sites This is a form
for evaluating the educational usefulness and quality of design
of educational WWW sites.
What Makes a Great Web Site? When designing your page, keep in mind the sensible guidelines
suggested here.
Armadillo's K-12 WWW Resources
Try your site evaluation skills
with the resources found in this page.
College and Universities Home
Pages Check this page to find good
examples of school home pages.