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Evaluating Online Sources: WWWs

Using the WWWs to Evaluate Online Sources:

Click through the slides below to learn what each W stands for. Then, use the WWWs checklist to evaluate your own sources. 

Evaluating the WWW of Web Sites, Information adapted from "The Weakest Link: Evaluating the WWW of Web Sites" created by: Evaluating Sources Project Team, Illinois Valley Community College, 2011 https://www.ivcc.edu/uploadedFiles/soup/Information_Literacy/WWW%20Web%20Site%20Evaluation(1).pdf
What does the WWW stand for? Who, What, When
Who? Is there a named author? Is there information about his or her background? Is he or she qualified to write about the subject? Does the author list his or her resources?
What? What organization is responsible for the Website? What group funds or sponsors the website? What is the process for adding content to the website? Can anyone be published on the website? To what audience is the website targeted? What is the purpose of the website? To inform, to persuade, to sell, etc?
When? Is recent information on the subject needed? When was the website last updated? Are the facts consistent with other sources?
After you locate an internet source, use the checklist below to evaluate its credibility. Depending on your device, PDF and Word versions of the checklist are available.
 
 WWWs Checklist (PDF)
 WWWs Checklist (Word)

Digging Deeper

Open the document below for tips on where to locate the information you'll need to complete the WWWs checklist.