| Loading and
Viewing
Does the page load
quickly (especially images and icons)?
Does it use javascript
or other special effects? Does it use them properly?
Is loading hampered by
background images or sounds? Are they needed?
Is it platform and browser
independent?
Will it look good in Netscape
and IE? Which versions (4.0 or better only? Or will it work on older software?)
Visual design
and layout
Can the page be
viewed without too much scrolling (back and forth is worse than
up and down)?
Is the text legible against
the background?
Do ads "pop-up" or "pop-under" in a new
window as the page loads?
Does the page use frames?
Does it have to? Does it use them properly?
Audience
Who, presumably,
is the audience for the site?
How can you tell?
Content
Does the page present
original information? Links to other sources?
Is the content appropriate
for the site's presumed audience?
Is the content relevant;
that is, does the site provide insightful new information, a collection of
well-chosen links, or a haphazard, thrown-together collection of "possibly
interesting" information?
Links
Do the links work?
Are the links presented
in some logical order?
Do the links lead to authoritative
sites?
Do they lead to current
sites?
Currency
When was the page
last updated?
How can you tell?
Authority
Who is responsible
for the information on the page?
What authority do they
have?
Have they written other
works, either on the web or in print?
Has their work been reviewed
by others in the field?
Is this an official page
or a personal homepage? How can you check?
Are there links back to
a institutional or official home page?
Is there a mailto link
to the webmaster or content authority?
Bias
Is the site a promotion
or an advertisement for a product or a service?
Is the author taking sides
in a controversial issue?
If so, are other sides
represented accurately and fairly?
If not, are you certain
there really is no disagreement on this issue? |