Web Resource Evaluation Form

Name of Site: _______________________________ Topic: Online History Resource Gathering

URL: _______________________________________________ Grade Level: 10
Reasons for finding this resource:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
In the table below, check off the areas in the boxes provided that fit the criteria that the resource
being evaluated falls under. If some are not applicable, write NA.
Currency
Have the pages on this web site been updated recently?
Is the content from this resource recent?
Are the sources being cited for the information on the site from a recent year?

Authorship
Is the author or creator of the resource identifiable from the resource?
Does any form of expertise or credentials make the author reliable?
Is there contact information for the author?
If this source is one that incorporates a primary source, is the author of that
primary source clear?

Accuracy
Is the information in this resource cited properly and from a credible source?
Are the facts being presented the same as those from other related sources?
Does the source provide links or references to other sources that it either cites
or are related?

Objectivity
Does the source present objective information? (Mark NA if this is not
necessary)
Does the source present subjective information? (Mark NA if this is not
necessary)
Is this a primary source?
Is this a secondary source?
Is the resource sponsored by an organization or other entity?
Does the information show a clear bias that discredits it?

Accessibility
Does the organization of the resource or site make it easy for any student as
well as any instructor to navigate it?
Is the content of this website suitable for the grade level of the students?
Is the information readable and contains no errors that make it illegible?
 Does the content pertain to the topic at hand or can be used in some way?

Based on the number of criteria met by this resource, is it one that is an extremely useful
resource that will be used often, a resource that might be useful at one point, not useful or
credible and can be ignored?
Rationale for how this source can be used:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Rationale for Criteria:
The criteria for web resources that are described above are important because they help identify
the utility, credibility, and reliability of the information or tools they provide. Currency makes
sure that the information being retrieved is current and therefore not filled with research that has
been found to be either false or not as credible. Authorship also ensures that the information
from the web resource is reliable. If the author or creator of the resource is an expert in the field
or has qualities that indicate that he or she knows the information well, then the information is
more than likely credible. Checking for authorship also ensures that the resource has not been
stolen from another creator. Similarly, checking for accuracy allows one to note the usefulness
and credibility of the facts being presented in the resource. Objectivity allows for a student or
instructor to identify what type of source they are examining. This tells them how useful it can be
in the topic or project they are working on and is especially important for gathering sources to
research a topic in history. Accessibility and the criteria that fall under this category are
important because they determine if the resource can be used whatsoever by the teacher or
students. If students cannot comprehend the information presented in the resource, there is no
way for them to use the resource at all. All these criteria are suitable for the topic and grade level
indicated above because the criteria are not only simple enough for tenth graders to meet and
analyze for themselves, but also work with the knowledge and skills they need to seek out
resources to use for research.