Criteria for evaluating the credibility of the website, according to Alastair Smith

The goal

- Does the explicitly stated goal appear, or is it just a digression?
- Focusing - what issues are addressed? Does it include related topics?
- Depth - what is the level at which it is formulated and what is the presumed level of the audience?
- News - is the information up to date? Is it limited to a certain period?
- Format - is it appropriate for the stated purpose? Does it serve him or not?

The content

- Originality - does it contain original information or only links and bibliographical references? Is it an independent page or just a rewording or translation of another document? Or is the HTML summary of a document available in another format (printed, e-book, CD-Rom)?
- Correctness - does it include erroneous or contradictory information? Can ideological or propagandistic tendencies be observed? What is the author's motivation? Isn't it advertising?
- Seriousness - is the responsibility specified? An expert or an organization? Is the author a specialist in the field? Are the sources of information mentioned? Is the information verifiable? Can the author be contacted for clarification or comments?
- Evolution - is it a static page or does it evolve over time? How often does it change? Are there any data on recent changes? Is the responsibility for the update specified? Do the dates of change correspond to the evolution of ideas?
- Links to other resources - are they relevant? Are they up to date and active? Do the necessary details appear on the authors? Are we alerted when the connection leads us to another server?
- Formulation quality - is the text well written? Does it contain grammatical errors? Is it clear enough? Is it well structured?
- Audience - does the content and purpose fit the declared audience? What is the level of knowledge required of the audience? Is the information satisfactory to the audience? Do you agree with its level of Internet access?
- References - are there any cited references or reviews? Do they have to do with the content of the page or only with the expertise of the author? Are references serious and verifiable, or just conjunctural?

Form and accessibility

- Relationship to the reader - is the page usable? Can it be traveled in good condition? Is it structured enough? Does it support reader interactivity? Are the layout and internal links simple enough? Has the level of audience preparation been taken into account?

- Hard / soft claims - Are there special or particular requirements? Does the document claim certain special hard / soft configurations? Can it be accessed with any browser? Did the images include the textual description?

- Graphics and Multimedia - Are They Suitable For The Purpose? Do the graphics make browsing more enjoyable? More intuitive understanding? Or do they just distract?

- Organization - does the document include a summary and / or a table of contents? Does it include thematic search instructions? Does it help the reader to go through the information? Are the navigation paths uniform in all components of the web page? Are the forms that ensure interactivity well enough explained? Do they add anything to the value of the web page?

- Connectivity - can the page be accessed conveniently? Without exaggerated waiting and without receiving error messages? Is a simpler, faster form provided for readers with difficult (slow) access? Is a suitable version provided for the visually and hearing impaired?

The cost

- Is the page public and accessible without fees?
- What are the costs of access? Is there a subscription or a visit fee?
- What are the copyright restrictions?
- In case of collecting fees, is the confidentiality and protection of the transaction ensured?
- Is a trial version provided?

BJ Fogg and colleagues at Stanford's Persuasive Technologies Laboratory in a 2001 online study4 of 1,400 subjects discussing 51 different elements of Web pages looking for factors that affect the perception of credibility, 5 attributes that increase credibility:

- The feeling of the real world,
- The ease of travel,
- The professionalism of the author,
- The confidence he releases,
- The care of the visitor

As well as two attributes that diminish it:

- Commercial involvement
- Amateurism

Note: The above considerations were caused by several local incidents that showed not only how little is known about the research mentioned here, but how little we care about the credibility of the pages on the Romanian Web.