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Internet Sources
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?
Last Modified on August 31, 2010