How to Find Reliable Sources Online
Sources add substance to a research paper or any other written document. Without reliable sources even the most well-written paper can lose credibility. Sources support the information you are providing in your paper. If they provide incorrect information, your paper will also be inaccurate. The Internet is brimming with good information. Unfortunately, an equally large number of websites are riddled with misinformation, lies or half-truths. Use simple search guidelines to find credible online sources for your writing.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Examine the URL for the name of the author. According to the Teaching Library at UC Berkeley, the name of the author will appear in the URL just past the tilde or a percent sign. The name of the author of the page may also appear after the words "members," "users" or "people." If the website has been created by one author, carefully research that person to see if he provides consistently accurate material that is well written.
-
2
Find the publication date on the website. The website generally posts publishing information at the bottom of the entry. Determine if this information is up-to-date enough for your paper. For example, information published on space travel changes rapidly, and a web page that is even a few years old may be inaccurate. Having information that is more recent will add to your credibility.
-
-
3
Verify the sources provided by the author. Even experts will use findings and information from colleagues and other experts. Search through the website to see if you author has provided any sources from other people. Read through her sources and determine if the information makes sense and is accurately represented by the author who you are using as a source.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If the source you choose has some reference links that do not work, choose another source. Broken links to sources are just as bad as having no sources.
Websites ending in "edu," "gov" or "mil" are created by educational institutions, the government and the military and go through more stringent peer review and editing processes, generally, than do websites ending in "org," "net" or "com." Use these more reliable websites whenever possible.
According to the Learning Library at UC Berkeley, country codes on websites such as "uk" and "us" are not as reliable as they once were. Research the information found on these domains as carefully as you would any "com" or "net" or "org" site.
