When preparing for a recent job interview I came across the following site; http://canada2020.ca/numeracy/. I thought it would be perfect for this assignment since I had never heard of Canada 2020.

Evaluation based on my “Criteria for Online Verification”

1. What is the source of the online information?  Canada 2020 is a progressive think take that seems to align itself with the Canadian Liberal Party.  Their ‘Big Idea” is based on research done by a variety of reputable sources.
2. Is there a possibility of financial gain?  There is no advertising on their site, however, there is a ‘Donate’ button which asks you to “Help us hold more free public events, promoting a more progressive point of view and critical thinking for Canada.” ¹
3. When was the site last updated?  How old is the organization that started the site? The site was last updated in September of 2018.  The group Canada 2020 formed in 2006.
4. Is the site easily navigable?  The site is easy to navigate.  There are a variety of hyperlinks that move you throughout the architecture of the site.
5. Can facts on the page be verified by other sources?  The site provides footnotes of references made in the article.  The footnotes are not hyperlinked but most are easily accessed online.

Overall, through using my ‘Criteria for Online Verification” I found that the Canada 2020s publication “Big Idea: A Canada-wide Transformation of Numeracy Skills” is a fairly left-wing perspective on the state of numeracy in Canada, however, it is backed up by reliable data and facts.

¹Support Canada 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://canada2020.ca/donate/

Big Idea: A Canada-wide Transformation of Numeracy Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://canada2020.ca/numeracy/

3.3 Checking Out Alternate Criteria

I chose to use the criteria Paul developed (HERE) as my alternate criteria.  My evaluation of http://canada2020.ca/numeracy/ based on this new criteria is as follows:

1. Is the website name embedded in the URL with a recognisable domain?  The website’s name is clearly in the URL and is part of a .ca domain.
2. Are the content and intentions of the website made clear on the home page? If you go to the website’s homepage http://canada2020.ca/ there is a clear description of the organization’s purpose.
3. Is the grammar and spelling of content well-presented and correct?  Yes, the grammar and spelling are well presented and correct.
4. Is it well laid out with obvious navigation tools where you were expecting? The site is very navigable and tools are in expected places.
5. Is the information provided first or second hand by the website’s authors?  Information is provided first based on research.  Citations and bibliographies are included.
6. Are there hyperlinks to given sources?  Yes, hyperlinks are provided to sources and individuals referenced.
7. Do you need to subscribe for a free or paid period to use the website?  It is a free website, however, there is a spot to donate to help fund the organization.
8. Are there many adverts and/or pop-ups when using the website? There are no adverts or pop-ups, however, sponsor information is available and hyperlinked.
9. Can you comment/report or contact website owners/writers easily?  At the bottom of the site, there is contact information as well as links to social media sites.
10. Can you tell where/why/when each piece of information was created?  New articles posted on the site are attributed to the author and are dated.
11. Does the website have privacy policies and/or terms and conditions readily available?  There is not a specific privacy or terms and conditions policy readily available however when subscribing to the blog there is an “I’m Not a Robot” confirmation.  I was disappointed that there was not a disclaimer stating that your personal information would not be shared with other organizations.

Based on the criteria produced by Paul, I have once again found http://canada2020.ca/numeracy/ to be a reputable website and would be comfortable using it.