You can tell a lot about a website's content and purpose just by looking at the website's Internet address. Every Internet address ends in a two or three letter "suffix" that tells you what type of organization owns the site. This can be a helpful tool when you are evaluating the authority or usefulness of the websites. Here are some common Internet address endings:
.com -- This means the site is owned by a commercial, or for-profit, company or organization. This is not always a bad thing. Websites for newspapers and magazines usually end with .com, for example. On the other hand, many .com sites are designed to sell a product or service rather than provide information.
.org -- This means the site is owned by a non-profit organization. Their purpose might be to provide information, raise money, or solicit volunteers.
.edu -- This is the address designation used by educational institutions, whether they are colleges and universities, high schools, or elementary schools. Make sure you understand who the target audience is for these websites.
.net -- This is a "bucket" designation that often means the site is created by one person or organization but is stored on rented server space by an outside provider. .net is often used for sites or blogs created by an individual. You may need to look carefully at the credentials of the author of a .net site. Also, be careful not to confuse the server provider with the actual author of the information.
Evaluating Internet Sites - Step by Step (From Cerritos College, CA)
Countless web pages are available on just about every topic, but how can you know what's worthwhile or credible? Evaluation of web pages and websites has become a necessary part of the research process, and a means to sharpen your own critical thinking skills. Some of the fundamental questions to consider during evaluation are:
| AUTHORSHIP Note that "author" can mean a person or organization. |
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| ACCURACY Information must be judged accurate and verifiable before you use it in your own research or assignments. |
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| CURRENCY Look at both the date of publication and update, as well as the dates for any cited information. |
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| CONTENT Does the information on the website meet your research or information needs? |
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| PURPOSE The purpose of the site should be clear. Be aware that some sites present opinion as fact in order to sell or persuade. |
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| DESIGN Visual layout, choice of images and media files often have an impact on a website's professional credibility. |
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