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A Guide To...Environmental Data Set Sources: Tips for Using Internet Sources

Resources for data sets relating to the environment.

Tips on Using Internet Sources

 

 

Web Site Search Guide

 

Criteria

GENERAL

Search Engine

Web Site URL

Name of Web Site

Date Reviewed

DESIGN

Identify the domain. (.com, .org, .edu, .gov, .pdf, other)

Is there a fee for using this site/information?

Are there advertisements on this site?

Does the site offer search functions? (Refinement, Browsing, Boolean, Truncation, Limiters, etc.)

What are default search functions?

Is there a help function?

Are there links to return to previous, home page?

Is it slow to load or change pages?

Are there indexes or tables of contents?

Are there any broken links?

Who is the site designed for? (Intended audience type)

AUTHOR

Who is the author of the site/page?

What are the author’s credentials, expertise?

What is the contact information for the author?

Who is the webmaster?

What is the contact information for the webmaster?

CONTENT

Has the site received any recognition or awards? From whom?

Does the content present more than one view of an issue or topic?

How does the content compare to other sources?

Are there links to other web sites? If so, what type of web sites are they?

Is the information current?

Is the information clearly labeled?

Is the information clearly documented?

When was the site last updated?

What is the purpose of the page?

Is the information scholarly or popular?

Is the site associated with any organization? What type? (Non-profit, Profit, Educational, Government)

Does the site contain opinion or facts?

Does the site represent only one or multiple opinions?

Are there any typographical, grammatical or spelling errors on the site?

How are the results presented? (Ranked, subject, alphabetical or chronological order, etc.)