Skip to Main Content

AR 250: Women in the Arts

Websites

Domain Indicators

Domain Names

When evaluating a web resource, analyze the domain name and determine if the creator of the webpage can be trusted.

Domain Names / .com Commercial Intent - can be created by anyone / .org Organization - wide range of credibility / .edu Educational institution - Since 2001, must be US Institution of higher ed. / .gov Government entity - restricted to US government sites. Federal, state or local.

Domain Name Differences by adstarkel. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

DRAMA Evaluation

Website Evaluation

Anyone can create a website. It's your job to determine if a website is a scholarly resource.

Stop the D.R.A.M.A. around website selection! Use the checklist below as a guide to evaluate websites:

Date
  • How recent is the information?
  • Is the information current enough for your topic?

Relevance
  • Does the content of the source match your topic?

Accuracy
  • Are there spelling or grammar mistakes?
  • Do the links on the webpage work properly?
  • Does the author provide references or sources for data?

Motivation
  • Why did the author create this source? To inform? To sell you something? To entertain? To sway your opinion?
  • Is the information fact or opinion?
  • Is it biased?

Authority
  • Who wrote this source?
  • What are the creator's credentials? Do they have a PhD or an advanced degree from an accredited university?
  • Who is the publisher? 

DRAMA

Do These Websites Pass the D.R.A.M.A. Test?

Website

Yes

No

Reasoning
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Check Mark  

◭ The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a well-known institution that is a trustworthy source on topics related to art and art history.

◭ The content was written by the Met's experts.

◭ The information is factual and was created to inform and teach.
Japanese Aesthetics (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Check Mark  

◭ The author - Graham Parkes - and the editor - Edward N. Zalta - are both experts in their fields.

◭ The content is supported by citations and an extensive bibliography.

◭ This encyclopedia entry was published by Stanford University.
Salvador Dali : Paintings, Biography and Quotes   X Mark

◭ The author is DaliPaintings.com. There are no specific authors listed, so we cannot verify the creators' credentials.

◭ The Terms of Use state the website cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.

◭ There are several advertisements spamming the webpage.

◭ There's an entire page dedicated to the website's shop. The author created this website to sell you something. 

◭ There are no proper citations or references listed.