General Criteria for Evaluating a Cartographic Web Site

Accuracy

Who is responsible for the site?  Who is the author?

Is there contact information for the author?

Are the maps accurate?  If not, why not?

Is the site in good repair?  Are there any dead links?

Has it been updated recently? 

What kind of site is it?

Who is publishing or hosting the site?

What is the primary activity of the host?

What are the author’s credentials or qualifications? 

What is the source of the maps?

Why has the information been brought together for you find on the web?  What is the purpose of the site?

Is there any detectable bias in the site or its information?  Is there any reason to suspect a bias, e.g. the business of the publishing institution or the author?

Who decided what kinds of information is available on the site?

What were the selection criteria for the items included in the site?

Is the information freely available or is it available for purchase?  If you must purchase information, who is the money going to and why was it necessary to purchase the information?

Where did the maps come from?  Who originally produced them?  For what purpose?

When was the site published?  Has it been updated?

Is the site recent enough to be useful to your topic?

Are the maps current?  If not, when were they produced and does this date impact their relevance to your use?

Is the information available on the page still current or relevant?

Is the information available on the site in the public domain or protected by copyright?

Were the maps or links carefully chosen?

Is the information organized in a way that makes it accessible and easily obtained?

What is the quality of the maps?

What kind of site is it? Is there a focus? Is there any bias in the selection of map information?

Does the site have a thematic, chronological, or geographic focus?