CCPA: McGill, R. & Muir, A. (Fall 2024): Websites

Finding Authoritative, Reliable Websites

It is relatively easy to find information on the web about controversial topics. However, not all of it is trustworthy (reliable). 

Things to Ask Yourself When Evaluating a Website

• Is the author of the website clearly identified (an author can be an organization)? If the author is not clearly identified, it MAY because he or she has something to hide.
• Is there an "About" link clearly describing the author's credentials and purpose for creating the website?
• What is the domain (.com; .org; .gov; .edu)? Generally, .com sites are commercial sites dedicated in some way to making money. Since only governments and schools can have .gov and .edu domains, you know these are the official sites of the sponsoring institution, such as http://www.yale.edu versus http://www.yale.com. The .org domain is trickier. Generally non-profit organizations use .org, such as The American Heart Association, but anyone can use the .org domain, so use care.
• Is the language professional and neutral? Or, is there biased or accusational language? Is the author's or organization's point of view obvious? Is it clear that this is a conservative, progressive, liberal, etc. site?
• Does the author use poor spelling and grammar? Are there a lot of exclamation points? These are rarely present in reliable and authoritative websites.

Why Use Websites?

Websites are the most accessible sources for research, having a format with the ability to reach across the globe to people with internet access. Convenience is a major reason for using websites in research, and many journals, publishers, organizations, and authors have taken this opportunity to reach out to the public by utilizing websites and other digital means. Websites are also a major gateway to publications from non-profit organizations and government agencies. 

The flip side of using websites:

But with convenience comes risk for users -- you have to make sure you evaluate sources thoroughly, particularly sources online! Why? Because both individuals and groups can create websites and write about anything they choose--whether or not they have the education, training, or experience to make them experts.

Image source: Computer icons created by Freepik - Flaticon

Want to find sources by searching in only one domain? When you do a keyword search in Google, you add on a domain search after your keyword like this:

Try it!