If you find information on the World Wide Web--using a search engine such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing--then you must take extra care to verify that the information is reliable enough to be used for school work. Ask the following questions:
Authority & Origin
• Who is the author? What are her/his credentials? Is s/he an authority on the topic?
• Where was it originally published? What are the name and credentials of the publishing body (book, journal, newspaper, Internet organization)? Hint: Look at the website's URL, which may provide clues.
Timeliness or Currency
• When was the document published? Is the information current enough to be valid for your research?
Accuracy & Objectivity
• What is the author's tone: personal, journalistic, scholarly? Is bias indicated?
• Are references provided? How many? If references are electronic hyperlinks, are they live/accurate?
