Criteria for Selection of MARS Best Reference Websites
All nominated websites will be free or predominantly
free, no-fee sites, in accordance with the current mission of the MARS
Best Websites Task Force. The Task Force may consider sites that impose
fees for specific types of information if a substantial and important amount
of information is still freely available.
Quality, depth, and usefulness of content
Clear statement of the content, including any
intended biases
Appropriate for the intended audience
Provides appropriate links to other websites
Attention to detail; absence of grammatical errors,
etc.
"Ready" Reference; usefulness for reference to
answer specific questions
May also give a broad perspective of a particular
subject
Availability
The website’s server is reliable and speedy; information
is there when you need it.
Ease of use
User-friendly design; easy navigation
Good search engine
Attractive; graphic design leaves a good impression
on the user
Easy output (printing or downloading)
Currency of content
Links are kept up to date
Update frequency is appropriate for the subject
matter
Customer service
Contacts are responsive; email addresses are correct
Authority of producer
Authority and legality clearly stated
If not easily recognizable, an explanation of
the history and purpose of the organization
Uniqueness of content
Uniqueness of the resource as a whole; creativity
Useful in a variety of reference settings
Efficiency (Note: efficiency is affected by the
user’s method of Internet access. Dial-up access will no doubt be less
efficient for all sites. Evaluators should take such differences into account)
Graphics load quickly or are not so intensive
as to seriously degrade access.
Any required plug-ins are available for easy download
Reliable server
Appropriate use of the Web as a medium
Components are well integrated (audio, video,
text, etc.)
Useful information is still available, even if
the user does not have all the plug-ins and media components.
