What is a Credible Source?
Anyone can put information on the Internet, and it is not always credible. The credibility of a source refers to how reliable the information is. Is the information based off of facts and research or is it from an individual's own opinions and experiences?
Books and library databases are great credible resources to use. Books have gone through many evaluation processes before being published.
There are some specific things one should look for when deciding whether or not a site is credible.
Look for these things:
Home Page: This should contain more information about the credibility of the information, before you look any further into the source.
- Author: Who is the author or organization? If there is no author, where did the information come from?
- Sponsor: Who is the sponsor, the person that owns the site? Is it a credible group or organization?
- Date: How recent was the website published and edited?
- What type of site is it?
- Is it a wiki? Watch out!
- Is it an Internet database? Proceed!
- Is it an online periodical or print publication? Do it UP!
- The URL Address and its significance: Domain Names
- .gov -This is derived from "government," is used by the United States government, and is the most strongly regulated.
- .com - This is an abbreviation for "commercial," meaning that websites use this type of domain for a business or commercial nature.
- .edu -This stands for education, and represents an educational institution.
- .org -This site is represented by an organization, like: environmental organizations, charities, associations, schools, etc.
- .net -This comes from the word "network" and is typically used for organizations involved in networking technologies, like internet service providers.
My sources: myself and my college degree and http://www.ivcc.edu/stylebooks/stylebook6.aspx?id=14724
