Sometimes, the information you are looking for can be found by searching Google or a similar search engine. However, you need to be careful when you are searching the open internet because there is a lot of information out there and not all of it is accurate. If you use Google Advanced search to limit your results to certain types of websites, you can increase the likelihood that you will find good information from your search.
Regardless of where or how you're searching, make sure you take the time to carefully consider if the information you find is accurate and is coming from a reliable source.
There is a lot of information on the internet, and not all of it is credible or accurate. Here are a few things to consider as you consider whether a website is appropriate to cite in your paper.
In general: stick to sources that are written by authors that are knowledgeable in the topic area that they are writing about and organizations that are well known and well respected.
Check if an author is listed and consider their credentials. The most credible sources will be written by authors who have an advanced degree in the topic area. It is also a good sign if they have written other articles on similar topics. You can do a quick Google search to get more information about an author.
If no author is listed, try to identify which organization posted the content. Check for an "About Us" page or mission statement to get more information about an organization. You can do a quick Google search to get more information about their reputation. Check for any potential sources of bias. For example, if a website is written by a private company or a political agenda, they may be trying to persuade readers to buy something or take a particular political belief.
If you cannot find information on an author or an organization that posted the content, find a different source to use instead.
You want to make sure you are getting information that is up to date. There is no rule about how current your information needs to be, although professors will sometimes ask you to find sources that were published within the last 5 or 10 years. In general, newer is best, but how new your sources need to be depends on your topic. If you are research a very popular topic where our knowledge is evolving rapidly, it is especially important to find recent information.
Websites that contain advertisements can be biased because these ads allow the author or publisher to make money from their content. Not all websites that have ads are poor quality, however. Many news sites are supported by advertisements, for example. Pay attention to the type of ads that appear. If they are flashy and very distracting, that is a sign that it is not a trustworthy website.
Check the website's overall appearance. Credible sources should have a professional website that is free of typos, broken links, and other obvious errors. If the website is difficult to read or navigate, find a different source to use instead.
