MUZC95H3 Musical Diasporas

It is very important to evaluate websites before including any information that you find in your essays. Here is a checklist that you can use in order to see whether the website is a reliable resource. The more "yes" answers you can give to the questions below, the more reliable the website.

Authority: reveals the person, institution or agency responsible for a site has trustworthy qualifications and knowledge.    

• Is it clear who developed the site?      
• Has contact information been provided? This includes: e-mail address, mail address, phone number, etc.        
• Is the site supported by an organization or a commercial body? You can usually tell by the website URL (.org is an organization, .edu is an educational institution, etc)?
• Is the author affiliated with a known institution?   

Purpose: The author should be clear about the purpose of the information presented in the site. Ask yourself: What is the purpose of the site and does the content support it?    

• Does the domain name of the site indicate its purpose?    
• Is the site well organized? 
• Can you find information easily?
• Are the links appropriate for the topic of the site?     
• Is the information geared to a specific audience?    

Coverage: One author may claim to present comprehensive coverage of a topic while another may cover just one aspect of a topic.    

• Is the site comprehensive?    
• Are topics explored in depth?    
• Is the web site valuable compared to others on the same topic?        
• Does the site depend on outside links?    
• Are the outside links relevant?        

Currency: It is important to know when site was created, when it was last updated, and if all of the links are current. This is because information can change very quickly. 

• Is the date the information was first written given?    
• Is the date the information was placed on the web given?    
• Is the date the information was last revised given?    
• Are the links up-to-date and reliable?    
• Is the site still under construction?   

Objectivity: sites will present information with a minimum of bias, without the intention to persuade.  

• Is the information presented without a particular bias?    
• Does the information avoid trying to sway the audience?    
• Does the site avoid advertising that may be a conflict of interest with the content?    
• Does the site avoid trying to persuade or sell something?    

Accuracy: Is the information presented accurate?

• Is the information reliable?   
• Are proper references given for the origin of the information?        
• Based on your own outside reading, does the information on the site seem accurate?    
• Is the information provided comparable to other sites on the same topic?    
• Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and composition?    
• Is a bibliography or reference list included? 

Adapted from Dalhousie University Libraries "Website Checklist."