How to Find the Author of a Website

Anyone can put anything on the Internet. No one monitors or verifies the information posted on the web. That's why it is very important to know who or what group is behind a website before trusting the accuracy of the site's content. Internet sources are considered more credible or reputable if an author is clearly listed. However, the author may not be named on an internal page of a site. Diana Hacker's book, "Rules for Writers," advises surfers to try the site's home page.

Instructions

1. Look at the bottom of the home page of the website near the copyright information. An author can be an organization, a company or even a webmaster.

2. Click on the "Contact Us" or "About Us" tab. Sometimes the author's name will be listed on this page, or you can send an email and ask for the author's name. According to "Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage": "If an email address is given, you may be able to learn the person's name by entering the email address as a search term in a search engine."

3. Click on "View" on your web browser, then "Page Source" (or Ctrl U), and you may find the author's name in the information listed there.

4. Go to http://www.whois.net and enter the web address. Look under "Registrant's Name" or other listed information that suggests an author.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes websites don't include authors' names; however, most authors are proud of the content they put on a website. If you cannot find an author's name, be skeptical of the information. You may find a more reputable source.

References

• "Rules for Writers"; Diana Hacker; 2000
• "Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage"; Muriel Harris; 2003

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish