Evaluating Websites
Web Site Evaluation
Michelle Machin-Saeed
Grand Canyon University: RES 811
January 19, 2011
Introduction When researching a topic for a paper, a diligent writer must verify the veracity of all sources—including websites. There are five major areas in which websites are evaluated: 1) Authority, 2) Accuracy, 3) Objectivity, 4) Currency, and 5) Coverage (GCU, n.d.). This paper evaluates two websites which will be used in this writer’s research in upcoming months: 1) http://www.asperger-institute.com/, and 2) http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html.
The Websites For the purposes of this assignment and future research, this writer chose two websites which posted information and articles about autism, attention deficit disorder, and Asperger’s Syndrome. She chose those websites because they dovetailed with her research into the effects of the characteristics of those disorders on students who were not labeled with a disorder, but were assigned to a disciplinary alternative education program as a result of behaviors which fall into the autism and attention deficit disorder spectrum characteristics.
Authority
Authority referred to the ‘authorship’ of the website (GCU-T, n.d.). This writer checked each website for authority. On the Asperger’s Syndrome Institute site, http://www.asperger-institute.com/, authority was found under the ‘Founder’ link. The ‘Founder’ link led to a professional statement by Dr. John Ortiz, the founder of the Asperger’s Syndrome Institute, located in Dillsberg, PA. The articles and information located on Dr. Ortiz’s site were clearly labeled as to authority. The second site chosen by this writer, Your Little Professor: Resources and Academic Programs for Children with Asperger’s Syndrome, www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html, listed a specific author or ‘staff writer’ for some of the information posted on their site, and each article was followed by a list of resources used when writing the article—whether written by a
Michelle Machin-Saeed
Grand Canyon University: RES 811
January 19, 2011
Introduction When researching a topic for a paper, a diligent writer must verify the veracity of all sources—including websites. There are five major areas in which websites are evaluated: 1) Authority, 2) Accuracy, 3) Objectivity, 4) Currency, and 5) Coverage (GCU, n.d.). This paper evaluates two websites which will be used in this writer’s research in upcoming months: 1) http://www.asperger-institute.com/, and 2) http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html.
The Websites For the purposes of this assignment and future research, this writer chose two websites which posted information and articles about autism, attention deficit disorder, and Asperger’s Syndrome. She chose those websites because they dovetailed with her research into the effects of the characteristics of those disorders on students who were not labeled with a disorder, but were assigned to a disciplinary alternative education program as a result of behaviors which fall into the autism and attention deficit disorder spectrum characteristics.
Authority
Authority referred to the ‘authorship’ of the website (GCU-T, n.d.). This writer checked each website for authority. On the Asperger’s Syndrome Institute site, http://www.asperger-institute.com/, authority was found under the ‘Founder’ link. The ‘Founder’ link led to a professional statement by Dr. John Ortiz, the founder of the Asperger’s Syndrome Institute, located in Dillsberg, PA. The articles and information located on Dr. Ortiz’s site were clearly labeled as to authority. The second site chosen by this writer, Your Little Professor: Resources and Academic Programs for Children with Asperger’s Syndrome, www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html, listed a specific author or ‘staff writer’ for some of the information posted on their site, and each article was followed by a list of resources used when writing the article—whether written by a
References: Grand Canyon University Tutorials (GCU-T). (no date). Evaluating Websites. Retrieved on January 19, 2011 from http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/evaluatingWebPageContent/interactiveIndex.html Grand Canyon University (GCU-L). (no date). Syllabus. Retrieved on January 19, 2011 from http://angel04.gcu.edu/AngelUploads/Content/RES811_LOR/_assoc/957EA80BB239413890E99D5850B97095/syllabus_RES811_1.6.print.htm