Website Evaluation

Website Evaluation

In preparation for you to conduct research for your research paper, I want to ensure that first you know how to properly evaluate information that is presented on websites. There is a plethora of information on the Internet that is quite valuable when conducting research. Likewise, there is also information that has not gone thru a scholarly editing process which can be problematic for students. As a rule, Wikipedia is not used as a reliable source, as there is no quality control measures in place for uploading and editing information on a specific topic.

For this assignment, go to the Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) website and review the lesson titles, “Counselling and Addiction Studies: Evaluating Internet Sources.” Using the information learned from the AIT website, find and review a quality website as follows:

Step One – Search for a quality website on the following topic(s):

Municipal Risk Management
Hazard Mitigation
Disaster Risk Analysis

Step Two – Describe the Resource by answering the following questions:

WHERE is the site from? Is it connected with a college, museum, textbook publisher, retail store, business group, special interest group or an individual?
WHAT is the site’s purpose? Is it to provide educational resources, foster communication among professionals, market a product, share knowledge, or generate support for a special interest group? If the site is sponsored by a special interest group, is that made clear from the outset?
HOW is the site listed? Did you find it through the search of a general topic? Was it linked through a reputable organization? In other words, does the particular site come with a set of references and reliable antecedents?
WHO is likely to use the site? Who appears to be the target audience based on vocabulary used, level of education assumed or types of graphics, charts and links supplied? For example, is it geared toward college students, consumers, professionals, gardeners?
WHEN was the site copyrighted and when was it last updated? At the bottom of most websites, you can find the copyright date and often a note of when it was last updated. This will give a sense of how well the site is maintained, how current the information is, and how reliable the links will be.
Evaluation of the Resource: Here you should be prepared to state your opinion of the site.
Paper Guidelines: This assignment should be at least 500 words in length, and conform to the following guidelines.

Submitting:.
Margins: Leave 1″ margins at the top and bottom of each page, and 1″ margins on both sides.
Font: Arial 12 or Times New Roman 12 font should be used.
Spacing: Double space your sentences.
Page numbers: Number the pages. Place your last name before the page numbers.
Cover page: Be sure your cover page includes: your name, your instructor’s name, assignment number: course title, and the date.
Format: Ensure the document is saved as a Microsoft Word document, with a .doc, .docx, or .rtf format.

Tips for Written Assignment
Your written assignments are intended to test your understanding of important concepts and discover how to sharpen your intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application. Completing assignments also provides you with opportunities to more fully describe, explain, and analyze what you are reading, discussing, etc. to deepen your learning.