You can type in a site URL and see archived pages of a website. For instance, you can see the first MySpace page or Google page. This lets you "peek" into the past of a site.
Evaluate your Sources
Before you use a website -- or any source -- for an assignment, consider:
Purpose: Why was it created?
Authority: Who created this material? What are the author’s credentials?
Scope/Coverage: What does it include and leave out?
Accuracy: Is the information provided correct?
Currency: When was it created or last updated?
Objectivity: What is the author’s or sponsor’s point of view?
There are many variations on this technique -- here are links to a few of them.
When evaluating a web site, see if you can identify the authority, bias, currency and documentation of the site. You can also see this explained in a video. From Oklahoma City Community College.
The CRAAP Test looks at currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, and the purpose of websites. It is a list of questions to help you evaluate information you find on the web. From CSU Chico.
