I have recently discovered a grammar site which, upon a quick glance, looked like a good reference site to use in my class. I chose this site – Quick and Dirty Tips – Education – to review according to the following criteria:
SITE
Web address? (edu / gov / org / com / k12) It is a .com.
Name/Title? The title Quick and Dirty Tips does not seem very professional, yet has a fun feel. It is not solely based on education, but definitely has a comprehensive cover of key issues in grammar usage.
Easy to navigate? Yes
Working links? Yes
WHO
Name of author/creator? Mignon Fogarty
Biography / proof of expertise? B.A. in English from University of Washington and M.S. in Biology from Stanford University, magazine writer, technical writer, author of 7 books, entrepreneur, senior editor and producer of number of health and science websites
Way to connect with author? Google+, Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Provides opportunity for questions, report of technical problems, and media or speaking inquiries – links don’t work. However, if you go to the bio page, the link to her email works.
DATE
When was site created? Earliest record: 2006. Copyright 2016.
When was the last update? New posts are added with regular intervals.
Date of post? Each new post is dated.
SPONSORS/ENDORSEMENT OF SITE
Reputable? Writer’s Digest, Writer’s market, Writer’s Digest University & Writer’s Digest Shop. Awards: Best Writing Website, and 29 other awards (website and podcasts)
Related to theme of site? Yes
INFO
True / useful? Yes
Mechanics: spelling, grammar, punctuation? Lenient approach to use of punctuation
Citations provided? Yes
Generalized, biased statements vs. factual, proven, objective (depending on the site)? Factual and correct
To summarize: I like the feel of this website. Clearly she has made a name for herself in the grammar and writing world. I find her use of punctuation when explaining rules a little lenient, but there is no other issues. It is a great source.
1 comment so far ↓
Using Delano’s criteria: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
10 SECOND GLANCE
URL: .com = commercial
Author: Mignon Fogarty
Purpose: Teach
Links: Many links to podcasts, as well as to additional (reputable) websites
60 SECOND SCAN
Authority: Fair
POV: A personal, first person approach
Profession: managing director, author, podcaster, editor
Reputable? Yes
Pass the smell test? A fun website to use as reference for grammar issues. She touches on common errors made by students, and provides good explanations and examples to clarify.