Finding Reliable Information
You have access to a large amount of information through the Internet. How can you tell if the information is reliable? How do you know if the information is biased or misleading? Here are four tips to determine if a site is reliable.
Who wrote it? Look at the source.
• Look for an “About” or “More about the Author” link on the webpage.• Does the author provide his/her credentials?
• What type of expertise does s/he have on the subject s/he is writing about?
• Does s/he indicate what his/her education is?
• What type of experience s/he has? Should you trust his/her knowledge of the subject?
Who published the site?
• Domain name – is it a .gov, .edu, .mil, .org, or a .com.
• If you don’t know for sure, use Whois.com website to find out who owns a registered domain name.
What is the main purpose of the site?
Who is the intended audience?
• Is there a company funding the research?• If so, they may want to skew the findings to encourage you to buy their product.
What’s the quality of the information? When was the site last updated?
. Can you find the same information in 3 different places? If so, it is probably reliable.
Now you are able to use the Internet to find accurate and reliable information. Use these tips to evaluate information throughout this course.
Reference: University of Texas Library Tutorial
