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REA 0017 (Cowden): Home
This a guide for Prof. Karen Cowden's developmental reading classes.
Anyone can create a website and put anything on the web.
Unlike traditional print sources (like newspapers), editors or fact-checkers do not check the facts in web resources to ensure their accuracy. It is up to you to evaluate the accuracy of a website.
Website Evaluation - ABC3 Method
Authority
An accepted source of expert information or advice. An expert usually has education in his or her specialty OR lots of experience, often both.
Is the author of the information an authority on the topic?
Bias
Favoring a particular point of view and often trying to persuade the reader of that viewpoint.
Does the author of the information have ulterior motives besides informing me on a topic?
Content
The material is well-written, well-researched and relevant.
Does the webpage have spelling or grammatical errors? Is the site easily navigable? Does the site look professional? Is it useful? Is it relevant to my needs?
Consistency
The information can be verified using another source. If I look at another web site, book, or article on the same topic, I can find the same facts used on this site.
Can I find the same facts repeated in different sources?
Currency
The information is up-to-date. (If the site does not tell you when the information was updated, how will you know?)
Is the information the latest available on the topic?
