VM611 - Foundations of Veterinary Medicine

Evaluating Websites

There are many different models for evaluating websites.

The CRAAP test, which stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority,Accuracy, Purpose, is a list of criteria/questions that you should keep in mind as you evaluate a book, article or website.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WEB SITES
WHO?	Who wrote the page? Who published the document? Is the person qualified to write the document? Does the author provide an email or contact address/phone number? What credentials are listed for the author(s)? Is the author an organization rather than a person?
WHAT?	What is the purpose of the document? Is it designed to persuade? To educate? To entertain? What goals or objectives does this page meet? What opinions are expressed by the author?
WHERE?	Where does the document originate? (Check the domain name) .edu - Educational .com - Commercial .gov - Government .net - Internet Service Provider ~ often indicates a personal page
WHEN?	When was the page originally produced? When was it last updated? How up-to-date are the links?
WHY?	Why was the page created? Is it designed to persuade? To educate? To entertain? What opinions are expressed by the author? Is the page a mask for advertising? Is it meant to be a practical joke? View any Web page as you would an infomercial on television - figure out who the page was written for and why
HOW?	Can you get in? Does the site load quickly? Can you move around the site easily? Is the site or page still there next time? Is there a text-only alternative for the visually-impaired? Is the source of the information clearly cited? Does the page require any special software or subscription to view? Are there a lot of spelling errors on the page? If there are advertisments, do the interfere with your ability to use the page?