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federal government
There will be one (1) website critique report due during the semester. The length of the report should be between 1-2 pages. Basically, I would like you to find a national government-related website and review it critically, kind of like you would do with a book review. By “national government”, I mean any site that originates from the federal government or interacts with the federal government. For example, sites dealing with interest groups, political parties, think-tanks, political organizations, etc.would be fine as long as they are not directed at the “state-level”.
As part of your report, let me know if the site has good information, if you found it useful, if you would recommend it, etc. This assignment will exercise your “surfing” skills and ask you to research and evaluate information available on a national government-related website. This report will be worth up to 25 points. Check out the “website critique report materials” folder below for links to website evaluation criteria that you should use as you critique your website, as well as a link to a sample report for you to review.
The grade that you receive on this report will be based upon how well you follow the criteria and how complete you make your reports. Do keep in mind that not all of the criteria listed will necessarily be applicable to your website. However, do try to follow as much of the criteria as possible.
Below are the criterion that you should use for your critique:
Access:
* Prepared in HTML (for text, tables and frames) and GIF (graphics) formats
* Parts should not take too long to load
* Usually possible to reach site
* URL for site remains stable; if changed, is hot-linked to new URL
Design:
*Use should be intuitive
* Large or complex pages, typically those larger than 10 screens, should be divided into multiple, smaller files
* Images should not be used for pure decoration, but should help convey information
* Avoid using client-specific markup so as to be usable by all major clients
* Every page should have a short, informative, descriptive title
* Documents divided into multiple pages should include document title and publication date at top of each page
* Pages should have standard footers, including:
* date of last update
* email address or link to email form which can be used to contact a responsible party
regarding the content of a page
* link to appropriate home page
* Individual web pages within site are concise
* Essential instructions appear before links and interactive portions
* If interactions involve private information, they are secure
* Documents should be designed to minimize users’ reliance on navigational aids (e.g., back and forward buttons, history lists)
Content:
* Related to function and mission of organization
* Scope and limits clearly stated
* Headings are clear and descriptive
* No use of jargon
* Pages organized by needs of user
* Content and links suitable to expected audience
* Content kept current; out-of-date information removed/updated promptly
* Program/project home pages should be linked to sponsoring organization’s home page
* Care should be taken when linking to sites to ascertain that they do not link to questionable sites
* Dead links should be removed or changed promptly
* Origin of content documented, verifiable, accurate
* Pages should be checked and links verified before made publicly available
