Method for Evaluating Web Sites

Anyone can put information on the Internet highway. Your job as a quality researcher is to decide which sites offer the most accurate information. The CARS method for evaluating Web sites will lead you down the correct road on the Internet highway.
  • Is the information fair?
  • Is the author expressing an opinion?
  • Is the information reliable?
  • Are there errors in spelling and grammar?
  • Are there dead links?
  • Were the facts checked by editors?
  • Who wrote this information?
  • Who published this site?
  • Is this an organization with strong opinions?
  • When was this site created?
  • Is the site current?
  • Are the links maintained?
  • Does the site list sources?
  • Where did the author get this information?
  • Can you check out the information using another source?
  • Is there contact information like an email or postal address?
  • Can you find your way around the site easily?
  • Does the site take a long time to load?

Acticities

  1. Visit the following Web sites.
  2. Evaluate each site using the CARS Method.
  3. Record your response on your Answer sheet.

Sites to Visit

Peep Surgery http://www.peepresearch.org/surgery.html

California's Velcro Crop under Challenge (1993) http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

History of the Fisher-Price Airplane http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/fisher/

The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

Taxonomy of Barney http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/volume1/v1i1/barney.htm
Mr. Sarazen's Lessons in the Lab