How to Determine Website Credibility

Use only credible websites.

How do you know that a website is giving you accurate information? Here are tips that will help you determine a website's credibility. Keep these tips in mind whenever you are looking for accurate, credible information on the Internet.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Internet connection

1. Look at the URL address of the website. The URL address starts with http://. Addresses ending in .gov, .us and .(STATE ABBREVIATION) are reliable. All other endings will require more investigation to know if they are credible or not.

2. URL address that contain tildes (~) usually mean that an individual published the site. Individual publishers unaffiliated with a credible corporation can have their own agendas. These sites may not have the most credible information.

3. Check the publishing date. Obviously, Internet pages that have been published more recently are more credible.

4. Figure out the site's purpose. Sites that are selling you something or asking you to sign up for something may not be present you with neutral, unbiased information.

5. Check out the contact information and resources. Credible websites should list contact information and resources.

6. Decide if the article is describing facts or the author's opinions. Statements that start with "I think" or "From my experience" aren't as reliable as those that begin with "Experts recommend" or "Research proves."

7. Ask yourself whether or not the article has answered all of your questions after you have finished reading it. If the article still leaves you with questions, it may not be the most credible source.

Tips & Warnings

• Always check more than one website when looking for credible information.

• Don't quote or use information from website you think are questionable.