MARSBestRefCriteria
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/mars/marspubs/marsbestrefcriteria.cfm
Criteria for Selection of MARS Best Reference Websites
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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.
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Quality, depth, and usefulness of content
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Clear statement of the content, including any
intended biases
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Appropriate for the intended audience
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Provides appropriate links to other websites
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Attention to detail; absence of grammatical errors,
etc.
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"Ready" Reference; usefulness for reference to
answer specific questions
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May also give a broad perspective of a particular
subject
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Availability
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The website’s server is reliable and speedy; information
is there when you need it.
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Ease of use
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User-friendly design; easy navigation
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Good search engine
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Attractive; graphic design leaves a good impression
on the user
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Easy output (printing or downloading)
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Currency of content
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Links are kept up to date
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Update frequency is appropriate for the subject
matter
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Customer service
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Contacts are responsive; email addresses are correct
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Authority of producer
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Authority and legality clearly stated
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If not easily recognizable, an explanation of
the history and purpose of the organization
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Uniqueness of content
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Uniqueness of the resource as a whole; creativity
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Useful in a variety of reference settings
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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)
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Graphics load quickly or are not so intensive
as to seriously degrade access.
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Any required plug-ins are available for easy download
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Reliable server
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Appropriate use of the Web as a medium
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Components are well integrated (audio, video,
text, etc.)
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Useful information is still available, even if
the user does not have all the plug-ins and media components.
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Effective use of Java, other newer technologies