Website Evaluation Tutorial
- Website Evaluation TutorialIf you're starting a research assignment and want to do a quick review on how to evaluate websites. Check out our online website evaluation tutorial.
Website Domain Types
.com – Commercial websites
- Generally created by a business or corporation and is for profit.
- Provides information on products or is motivated by sales.
.edu – Educational websites
- Created by a college, university or grade school.
- Information is provided for academic purposes.
- Highly regulated and can only be owned by an educational organization.
.gov – Government websites
- Created by local, state, and national goverments.
- Information is provided for the public.
- Highly regulated and can only be owned by a government organization.
.org – Organization website
- Used by both non-profit organizations, for profit corporations and individuals.
- Organization websites can be owned by a corporation and be sales motivated, owned by an individual or owned by a non-profit organization that provides information supporting a specific cause or viewpoint.
- Carefully evaluate non-profit organizations as they can have a particular viewpoint on an issue, so the information they provide can be biased or slanted in order to support their viewpoint.
Recommended Websites
Federal Reserve Websites
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve SystemThe Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. It performs five general functions to promote the effective operation of the U.S. economy and, more generally, the public interest.
- Federal Reserve of ClevelandThe Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is one of 12 Reserve Banks that together with the Board of Governors in Washington DC and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) comprise the Federal Reserve System, which was created by Congress to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.
- Federal Reserve System - about the Federal ReserveThe twelve Federal Reserve branches and the districts they serve.
Federal Government Websites
- United States Bureau of Economic AnalysisBEA's economists produce some of the world's most closely watched statistics, including U.S. gross domestic product, better known as GDP. We do state and local numbers, too, plus foreign trade and investment stats and industry data.
- U.S. Economy at a Glance: US Bureau of Economic AnalysisFrom the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Key indicators for economic growth, consumer spending, GDP, several more with summaries.
- U. S. Economy at a Glance: US Bureau of Labor StatisticsIncludes key indicators useful for employment, labor and consumer prices. Federally reported unemployment rate, hourly earnings and payroll, consumer price index, imports and producers.
- US Census Bureau: Economic IndicatorsReports on business, consumer and financial statistics. Useful for finding information on retails sales and manufacturing. Also useful for housing statistics with information on home sales and construction.
Other Websites
- Moody's Analytics: Economic IndicatorsThe economic indicators include gross domestic product, private and government consumption, and other indicators of economic activity. Economy.com is part of Moody's Analytics suite of services to help professionals worldwide respond to an evolving marketplace.
- What Exactly Is the US Economy?Summary of factors affecting US economy. From thebalance.com (a general investing/financial website for consumers and investors). Key indicators, influences, and definitions of what the measures mean. Useful for quick introduction to the economy
- Economic Indicators: Definition, Types and UsageFrom smartassets.com, definitions and explanations for indicators of US economy. These include leading, lagging and concident indicators of economic activity and health.
- What is the Federal Reserve Central Bank (The Fed)?The Corporate Finance Institute provides certifications in business, finance and data analysis in the areas of business and finance. The site provides instructional materials on all aspects of finance.
- The Urban InstituteThe Urban Institute stated goal is to provide "unbiased, authoritative insights for the financial well-being of people in the United States.". We are a nonprofit research organization that believes decisions shaped by facts, rather than ideology, have the power to improve public policy and practice, strengthen communities, and transform people’s lives for the better.
- The Conference Board: Leading U.S. IndicatorsThe Conference Board publishes leading, coincident, and lagging indexes designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle for major economies around the world. The Conference Board is a global non-profit think tank which publishes Leading Economic Indicator data by country.
- The Brookings institute: the US EconomyNews and reports on fiscal policy, housing markets, labor policies, monetary policy. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.
Fact Check your sources using SIFT -- Click through the tabs to begin the tutorial
Introducing SIFT
SIFT is an easy-to-use four-step method of fact-checking information you find anywhere. Digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield has created a few short videos to explain how to best use SIFT.
Step 1: Stop!
Before you use a source. ask yourself:
Who's responsible for the information?
Who created and disseminated it? And do you recognize the source?
If so, do you trust it? If the answer is no or you're unsure, consider some of the following:
Step 2: Investigate the Source
What do others have to say about the organization and the creators? (Hint: Try scanning the Wikipedia article on the source, if there is one) Look for surprises, particularly those that deviate from your initial impression! Take a look at the video (2:45) that covers how to fact-check efficiently and effectively by "reading vertically"
Step 3: Find Better Coverage
If you're unsure about a source especially if it is making a claim that you want to use or share, investigate if other sources that you trust more are also making the claim. The following video (4:10) covers strategies for finding better coverage of a claim:
Step 4: Trace Claims, Quotes and media to the Original Context
Context is critical when it comes to information claims. And information changes as it gets passed along and shared, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes deliberately. So, consider tracing the claim back to its original source and context. Take a look at the following video (1:33) that covers tips for "going upstream" and finding the original context:
Google Advanced Search
Quick Tip: If you are searching Google for a website with a specific domain, such as a .gov or .edu, when you type in your search add "site:" and the domain type at the end of your search term. For example, if you wanted to find government websites on gun control, type in "gun control site:.gov". Or if you wanted to specifically search for non-profit websites that had information on wildlife, type in "wildlife site:.org".
- Google Advanced SearchUse to specify website domain when searching, such as .gov sites for government information.