What questions should I ask when evaluating the author of a web page?
Let these questions guide your evaluation of a web page author:
- Who is the author of the web page?
- How much experience does the author have in this area?
- What is the author's occupation?
- What is the author's educational background?
- What is the author's reputation among others in the field?
Example 1. Who is the author of the following web page? What can you find out about the author using basic investigation techniques?
Plagiarism Stoppers: A Teacher's Guide was authored by Jane Sharka, though she doesn’t take credit as she thanks librarians and educators for sharing content. She is a Library Media Specialist at the North Central Unified School District 203 in Illinois, USA. However this information isn't immediately obvious when viewing this page. Her email address indicates she works for a school district. I just happen to know it is an Illinois district. I followed the link at the bottom of the page to the NCHS Homepage. From there I used the site map to find a staff email list. That is where I found Ms. Sharka's job title and contact information. We have no idea how long Jane has been a Library Media Specialist or what her training/credentials are. We do know that she uses a reputable publication, The School Library Journal, as a source for some of the information on this page.
