Search for the name of the person, agency, or organization that is responsible for the site by scanning the entire home page.  The name is usually linked to descriptive information about the author.  This link should provide you with enough information to make you feel comfortable about the author's credentials.

Note that the "webmaster" or designer of a Web site is not usually considered to be the author.

Ask yourself:
Does the author have the appropriate education, experience, or qualifications to write with authority (credibility) on the main theme or subject of the web site?

Consider: Linked biographical statements, resumes, or other background about the site's author. If no individual author is named, consider the reputation of the organization associated with the site. Does the author appear to be a self-proclaimed expert or merely an enthusiast of the subject? If you are unable to locate credible evidence as to the author's qualifications, closely examine the documentation (if any) of the information found on the web site. Search in other resources for biographical information to supplement or confirm an author's background.

For example, Psych Central   was created by Dr. John M. Grohol.  You can review  his biographical information at the bottom of the page and decide for yourself the quality of his education and expertise. Email your decision to your instructor at mfpriebe@kings.edu. Title the Subject of the email webeval05.

There are many ways to check an author's credentials.
See Using Online Resources to Check Authority for more information.

In addition to the author of a page or Web site, one should also consider the Web server that "publishes" it.

Sites may reside on an organization's Web server but may not be official pages of that organization.  For example, some universities allow students and faculty to publish "personal" pages on their web sites.  However, these pages are not official publications of the university.

Ask yourself:

Who is responsible for publishing this page?