5 Factors for Evaluating a Website

Authority

• Who is responsible for this site? • Is this site published by a person, an

organisation or a company? • What are their credentials? • Do they have any expertise or experience on

the topic? • Is the information they provide like to be

reliable and trustworthy?

Currency

• How current is the site? • Are there lots of broken links? • Is the information outdated? • Does it look like the site has not

changed for a long time? • Is this the sort of information which

needs to be constantly updated, or is it suitable for long-term use?

Content/Purpose

• Why does this site exist? • What sort of information/resources can I get

at this site? • Is this site designed to inform or entertain,

or does it have some other purpose? • Is this site trying to sell me something?

Audience

• Who is this site aimed at? • Is the language level of the site suitable for

the target audience? • Does the overall design, or "look and feel",

of the site do a good job of meeting the needs of the target audience?

• Would the target audience for this site find it of interest?

Structure/Workability

• How easy is the site to use? • How easy is it to find the information

you need? • Is the site reasonably quick to use, or

do the pages take ages to load? • Could I use this site if I had a disability? • Would I come back to this site by

choice, or has it been a painful experience?