Web
Guide
 
Site Review Guidelines
 
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Site Review Guidelines . . .  

When reviewing a web site, consider three components of the site as follows: Content, Design, and Technical Skill. 

Content 
Consider the following questions. (1) "What is the source of the information on the web site?" or in other words, "Who is the author?" and "What are his or her sources?"  Because of the accessibility of the web for publication, this is the most important question to answer.  If the author does not clearly identify himself or herself and his or her verifiable sources, then you should dismiss the web site as unscholarly. (2) "Is the information mainly facts or summary opinions?" (3) "What is the purpose of the web site?" (4) "Who disagrees with the opinions presented on the web site?" (5) "How is the information organized - thematically or chronologically or spatially?" (6) "How is the information communicated - in an oversimplified manner hidden by bells and whistles or in a book-like, text-based manner or a balance of the two?" In addition to answering these six questions, briefly summarize the content on the site. 
  
Design 
Consider the following questions. (1) "Is the information presented in an easily accessible and consistent fashion or do you get lost in the links as you move from page to page?" (2) "Is the information presented in a readable fashion? For example, do you lose the text in the background? Or does the length of the text hinder reading?"
  
Technical Skill 
Apparent technical skill does not guarantee the scholarship of a site.  Many technical people build lousy sites by doing what Cynthia Kurkowski says to avoid, i.e. making "information play second fiddle to multimedia attractions."1 Consider the following questions. (1) "How do the technical components of the site including search capabilities, audio or video segments, programming, etc. make the site more informative?" (2) "How does the site, or does the site, effectively marry functionality and design, as Marcos Sanchez suggests?"2 

To complete your evaluation, consider what audience should view the web site? 

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Content
What is the source of the information?
 
 
 
 
Design
Is the information presented in an organized, consistent, accessible fashion?
 
 
 
 
Technical Skill
How do the high-tech components contribute to effective information distribution on the site?