The Internet

Although the Web is the first place many students look for 
information, you must be careful when obtaining information. Unlike 
the print publishing industry, where editors and 
publishing houses are held accountable for what their writers say, 
anyone can say anything on the Internet regardless of whether or not 
it is true. For this reason, Web resources must be very carefully 
evaluated. Use library resources first, then, when you have a good 
background in your topic, check out what the Web has to offer and 
carefully evaluate what you find there. Use a good search engine and 
plan your search carefully. Ask yourself the following questions 
before you decide to use a site for your research: 

Source -- Who is the author? What are his or her credentials? Does 
the author list his sources? 

Affiliation/Bias/Purpose -- Is the page associated with an 
identifiable organization of some kind? If so , have you ever heard 
of it and is it reliable? Does this association influence the point 
of view of the information on the page? Who is the intended audience 
for this page? 

Currency -- When was this page created? Last updated? Are these 
factors important to your research?