Anyone can publish anything on the Internet!
Library databases are an excellent place to begin your research because content has been reviewed by editors, publishers, or scholars.
Few web pages go through the process of peer review or editing that magazines and journals do, so the quality and reliability of web pages varies tremendously. No standards exist to ensure the information is accurate or reliable.
When evaluating web sites for research, consider the factors provided on this page to help determine the reliability of the web site.
Author/Authority
A reputable author or organization should be providing the information.
Bias/Purpose
The purpose of the web page should be to inform or educate.
Content/Currency
Information provided should be able to be verified in other sources.
The web page should be regularly updated with relevant and current links.
Design
The web page should be well-designed, well-edited and user-friendly.
Did someone forward you an alarming email? Did you come across a web site or story that sounds unlikely? Check out these web sites before you unwittingly perpetuate an untrue rumor.
Check out these web sites that are good examples of why you should always be cautious about what you read on the internet.
One of the factors to consider when evaluating whether a web site is reliable is the domain in the URL address. For example: http://whitehouse.gov has a .gov domain, meaning it is produced by a government entity. The following chart gives you an overview of the most commonly used domains. Another thought is that many websites are not holding to this pattern now, so use caution when evaluating any website.
Domain |
What It's Good For |
What to Watch Out For |
.gov government |
May provide facts, statistics or information on current issues Generally contains reliable and |
|
.edu education |
May provide scholarly work or other information from academic departments |
Individual pages from students or faculty vary in reliability and accuracy. |
.com commercial |
May provide company reports, history, statistics or product information. |
May attempt to sell a product or present advertising as information |
.org non-profit organization |
May present facts, statistics, studies or other information. |
May be biased and attempting to influence opinion. Check information |
(varies) personal |
May be difficult to establish author’s true identity, authority or credentials. Unless author is established or well- known in the field, any information that is presented should be verified in reliable sources. |