Remember the 5 W’s: 

• Who: Who is responsible for the creation of the site? Do they have listed credentials? Are they associated with a reputable institution? Who sponsors the creation and maintenance of the page? Can you contact them? (Look for About Us or Contact Us)

• What: What is the purpose of this site? What is the URL of the site and what might that tell you about its purpose? What aspects of the site make it difficult/easy to use? (For example: typos, easy navigation, nice layout, images, too much advertising, etc.) What is the goal of this website? What is the viewpoint? (Give facts, sell, inform, persuade, laughter) Is it intended to help people do research or talk them into buying something? 

• Where: Where is this information coming from? Look for links to other resources. Is the information documented? Do the links reflect a bias? Look at the publisher (first part of URL usually): is it the true publisher or possibly a fake? Is there a bibliography or listed references? Is the site listed with an established institution? (About Us) 

• When: When was the site last updated? Does the site even have a date? Does the currency of the information directly impact your subject?

• Why: Why is this website useful for your research? Is it necessary for your research or could you find the information through a better source?