Criteria for Web Page Evaluation, Wilmington Campus, Delaware Technical and Community College

Delaware Technical & Community College Libraries

Criteria for Web Page Evaluation*

Questions to Consider when Evaluating a Web Page

Types of Web Pages:

Business
A “Business Web Page” is sponsored by a commercial enterprise, usually for the purpose of promoting or selling products. The URL (web page address) frequently ends in .com.
Example: www.amazon.com

Advocacy
An “Advocacy Web Page” is sponsored by an organization attempting to influence public opinion. The URL frequently ends in .org or .net.
Example: www.now.org

Informational
An “Informational Web Page” presents factual information such as statistical data, transportation schedules, etc. These pages are often sponsored by educational institutions or government agencies. The URL frequently ends in .edu or .gov.
Example: www.census.gov

News
A “News Web Page” relays current news information and is sponsored by a news organization or newspaper. The URL usually ends in .com.
Example: www.cnn.com

Personal
A “Personal Home Page” is published by an individual who may be acting alone or may be affiliated with a larger institution. The URL may include .com or .edu, and a tilde (~) is often embedded in the URL.

Please note that the division between many of the domains, e.g. .com, .edu, .net, have become blurred. For example, .net may be used by an advocacy group, an educational institution or a commercial enterprise. The questions on the next page may help you to evaluate a web page.

Questions to Consider when Evaluating a Web Page

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* Much of the above information comes from the Widener University, Wolfgram Memorial Library checklists for evaluating different types of Web pages, as well as other sources in the literature. For further information see Evaluating Web Resources

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Delaware Technical & Community College
Wilmington Campus Library
333 Shipley Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
302.573.5427
Delaware Tech Librarians Comments? Questions? lferris@college.dtcc.edu

Created 1/2007