Research attempted on the World Wide Web must be evaluated for reliability and timeliness. Just because it appears on the web does not mean a site contains reputable information.
Bottom-line, be skeptical!
- Try to determine the author. Who created this site?
- Have you ever heard of the writer?
- Is biographical information provided?
- Is there a way to contact the author for more information?
- Be suspicious of anonymous sources!
- Who published the site?
- Does the site exist in the real world? If not, can you find out more information about it?
- Check URL (electronic address) for clues.
- Access www.allwhois.com, a site that provides ownership-of-site information.
- What is the point of view?
- There is nothing wrong with espousing a specific point of view, many sources do so, but you do need to be aware of biases when conducting research.
- How current is the information?
- To what other sites does a given site link?
- Can you discern a bias?
JH 1/2000
- Seek validation from mainstream sources. Using a range of sources, not just the Internet, will give you a broad and reliable picture of your topic.