CMF announced the winners of the 112th Congress Gold Mouse Awards on Monday, October 24, 2011. Here are answers to common questions about our website evaluations and awards.
1. When were congressional websites evaluated?
2. We rolled out a new website after the evaluations took place. Can our site be re-evaluated?
4. Which websites were evaluated? Is there a submission process?
5. What criteria do you use to judge the websites?
7. What happens if we are an award winner?
1. When were congressional websites evaluated?
CMF's evaluation of congressional websites took place between June and September 2011. Evaluators were given a randomly generated list of websites by our research partners and evaluated them in that order.
2. We rolled out a new website after the evaluations took place. Can our site be re-evaluated?
No. In order to maintain the veracity and impartiality of the evaluation process, CMF cannot accommodate any special considerations, including altering a site's evaluation date.
3. Who are the evaluators?
Sites are evaluated by nonpartisan CMF staff, in conjunction with our research partners at Northeastern University, the University of California-Riverside, and the Ohio State University. Each evaluator is extensively trained on the criteria, grading standards, and how to objectively evaluate sites. They go through several rounds of test evaluations to ensure that each criterion - especially the qualitative ones - are applied consistently. During the evaluations, evaluators overlap on select sites to further ensure accuracy.
4. Which websites were evaluated? Is there a submission process?
You do not need to submit your site for evaluation. CMF evaluated all official House and Senate Member, committee (majority and minority), and leadership websites. CMF did not evaluate the websites of institutional offices, subcommittees, commissions, or Member or staff associations.
5. What criteria do you use to judge the websites?
CMF's evaluations measure congressional websites from the perspective of citizens and constituents. We do not evaluate the accuracy or validity of any policy positions or issue stances. The evaluations are focused solely on how effectively websites meet the needs of their various audiences. Before every round of evaluations, we update our methodology, which combines quantitative and qualitative measurements, to reflect current tools and best practices.
Websites are judged on the following broad categories:
- Usability
- Timeliness
- Information on issues
- Constituent services and casework
- District/State information
- Accountability
- Legislative Process
- Floor Proceedings
- Media Communication
- Communication Technology and Use of Social Media
6. Who won an award?
Click here for the list of award winners.
7. What happens if we are an award winner?
We notified award-winning offices if they won an award on Monday, October 24. Winners received icons to display on their website, a plaque to commemorate the honor, and recognition on our website and at an event celebrating the best in online communication in Congress. If you are an award winner and did not receive this information, please contact CMF at (202)546-0100 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
8. What about sites that didn't when an award? What was my website's grade? Where can I get information on how to improve our website?
CMF will publicly release only the names of award winners (congressional offices that earned a grade of A-, A, or A+). In the coming weeks, each congressional office will be notified privately of their grade and be provided with a customized report explaining their grade and ways to improve their website. We also have several other resources available to assist you in improving your website:
- The report includes guidance on how all offices can improve their online communications.
- Browse the sites of the 112th Congress Gold Mouse Award Winners
- Download the handouts from our March trainings:
Senate Training Handout (2.94 Mb) or House Training Handouts (2.30 Mb) - Look at the resources on Building a Better Website
- Review the guidance and finding of past Gold Mouse Reports
- Sign up for our newsletter and receive alerts about all of the Partnership's projects, including Gold Mouse
