Evaluating Internet Information
- Who is the author or publisher? (Go to "About" link on websites)
- What is the mission of the website? Who is the intended audience?
- Is there bias or opinion? (Much information on the internet is produced by businesses, agencies, organizations or individuals with a certain agenda.)
- When was the information last updated? (Check for the "Last updated date" at the bottom of the webpage)
- Check the domain: ".edu" and ".org" domains are non-commercial. (They may still be biased, however!)
Websites as Primary Sources
When a website is not reliable as an objective academic source that considers various viewpoints (a secondary source), it may be valuable to you as a primary source ("raw material") that you can then analyze.
This is where the internet really shines! You can get primary sources such as corporate reports and activists' manifestos from around the world.
