How to Find Out If a Certain Website Is Reliable
Anyone can write anything and put up a website. Just because it's on a screen doesn't mean it's true. For this reason it can be hard to tell just what is and isn't reliable information. When you find a website, though, there are some steps you can take to make sure that you aren't being taken in by someone with an agenda or a lack of knowledge.
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Instructions
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Check the extension on the website. If it is a .gov (government), .edu (educational institution) or .mil (military), the odds are that the information has been vetted before it was allowed to go to the public. Websites with .org and .net are the same as .com -- anyone can purchase the name. Websites with .gov, .edu and .mil have to be applied for and their use is controlled.
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Search for the site's name at Google or other search engines; first try just the site's name and then try the entire URL minus the "http://" prefix. The results of both searches can clue you in to what others have said about the site online.
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Look for an author. If someone was willing to put her name on the website the odds are better that it is reliable. You can and should also research the author online and see if there is any information out there that makes the website questionable. If the author cannot be contacted or has no credentials or affiliations with the information he has written, the website may be questionable.
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Determine if the website is part of a larger site. It might not make too big a difference, but if the website is housed or endorsed by an organization that has a trustworthy reputation, chances are that the website is also legitimate. For example, office.microsoft.com is a Microsoft-made site and is thus reliable.
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Try to find a "last updated" date. The website may be reliable but out of date.
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Examine the website to see if it has been professionally produced or designed. That alone does not help to prove that the site is reliable, but it can help to prove that the website is professional, which often means that it is hosted and written by a professional.
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Look for an "About" link on the site and read it to get more clues about the site and its creators.
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Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the site or the company associated with is listed there. You can usually find information about the company associated with a site at the very bottom of the main website or on the page's About page.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're trying to determine reliability for a paper or project for a school assignment, check with your teacher if you can't tell. Some teachers may not allow certain websites or may only want materials from peer-reviewed journals.
While .edu endings normally mean that the site is reliable, private schools may have them and some schools also give websites to their faculty members. In that case, the person posting should not be considered reliable without further research on your part.
Even the best researchers can be fooled by websites. If there is any doubt in your mind as to the reliability of a website, assume that it is not reliable.
