500-750 words
Format: MLA

Point of view: Third Person

Assess the website based on the following criteria:
The credibility of the author
The intended audience
The sponsor of the site
The purpose of the Web site
Possible bias of the site
The credibility of the information on the site
The use of sources
The writing style of the site
The date of publication on the Internet and/or last update
The value of the source for students writing a cause-and-effect paper on the topic
Use the CRAAP handout in the module to help you ask questions about the site.

Remember: YOU WILL BE WRITING ABOUT THE WEBSITE, NOT THE ISSUE DISCUSSED.You may even think of yourself as getting a helicopter view of the site.

Students should choose academic sites, such as those posted by universities or academic journals, or professional sites by organizations. Students should not choose generic news sites or popular news sites, such as USA Today or Time.

Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
Use Edited American English in academic essays.

Value of a Source for a Problem-Solution Paper
When considering if a site would be valuable for a problem-solution paper, you need to assess whether the source contains the following types of information:

a definition of the issue
the scope of the issue–the number of people affected
the causes of the issue
the effects of the issue
solutions for the issue

Body paragraph one–two or three of the following criteria:

The credibility of the author
The intended audience
The sponsor of the site
The purpose of the Web site
Possible bias of the site
The writing style of the site
Body paragraph two–all of these criteria

The credibility of the information on the site
The use of sources
The date of publication on the Internet and/or last update
Body paragraph three–everyone must have this paragraph
The value of the source for students writing a cause-and-effect paper on the topic

Conclusion
Restate points of credibility
Comment on the significance of your issue.
Comment on the importance of assessing the overall credibility of websites.

Avoid .com sites. Also avoid .org sites of organizations that are not well established.

Look for .gov and .edu sites. They are the most credible types of sites.