EVALUATING A WEBSITE FOR VALIDITY AND CREDIBILITY

Today you will be going through a two part exercise that will strengthen your ability to judge the validity of a website.

Step One: Go through the UCLA College Library site at http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/hoax/index.htm

*Instead of choosing 2 websites from Groups 1,2, and 3, choose one website from each.

Evaluate each of the three sites using the criteria worksheet .After filling in each criteria,answer the question, " Would you use this website for a research paper?" and explain why for each. Make sure your answer relates to the criteria you are observing in each of the groups (authority/accuracy, advocacy/objectivity, currency/coverage.)

Step Two: Now review one of the websites you plan to use for your controversial issue essay. Again, using the criteria worksheet (back side) comment on how your website meets - or does not meet- each of the criteria.