5 W’s: Who, What, Where, When, Why

Who

• Who published the website?
• Who is responsible for the content found on the website?
• What are the qualifications of the web publisher?
• Is contact information provided?

What

• What is the purpose of the site?
• Is the information consistent with other sources?

Where

• Where does the information come from?
• Is it a primary or secondary source?
• Are sources cited?

When

• When was the site created?
• When was the site last update?
• Is the information recent enough to be useful?
• Are the links up-to-date or are they broken?

Why

• Why would you use it? Did the site give you with the information you were researching?

Summary: OK to use? Be prepared to defend the source of information. Can you annotate the information website with a statement about how you know this is a valid, reliable, up-to-date source of information. Yes or No?

5Ws: Based on information from: Web 2.0 Applications for Children’s Services Summer/Fall 2007 – This material has been created by Bonnie L. Peirce for the Infopeople Project [infopeople.org], supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Any use of this material should credit the author and funding source.

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