Determining if a website is credible and valid can be a difficult and time consuming job, but with help from sites such as Widener University's Wolfgram Library and the tutorial it offers that job can become easier. This paper will attempt to evaluate a human services resource site with the help of the tutorial, How to Evaluate Information on the Web (Widener Univerity, 2008). The human services resource site this paper will evaluate is the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).
Criteria Used for EvaluationAccording to Widener University's tutorial the evaluation criteria that APHSA is based on are: authority, accuracy, currency, and objectivity. Authority refers to the people or person who is responsible for the content of the website page. The author of a page is important to verify the qualifications of the people who have constructed the website. Accuracy means the website has source that are reliable and verifiable.
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English: Logo of the .Accuracy also demonstrates that any links to other sources are reliable. When clicking on links the link should bring the researcher to another site that verifies the information being given. Currency refers to the dates of the website; is the information current and updated on a regular basis and when was the website established. Objectivity means the site does not have useless or biased information. Sites that are slanted in one direction or have a great amount of advertising are usually not reliable. These types of sites tend to biased and only show one side of a subject.
Evaluation of APHSA WebsiteAuthorityBased on the above criteria, the American Public Human Services Association website is to be considered viable and credible. When clicking on the APHSA home page of the site, two links are available; about APSHA and management team. The about APHSA link gives a history of the organization and...