One usually must assess the credibility of information, and there are a variety of ways to do this. In the boxes below, we discuss evaluating web sites and other types of information.
The credibility of web sites varies widely, and so you will usually have to evaluate the quality of the site. There are a variety of ways to do this. Most of these methods involve examining basic elements of these pages. Here are some of the most useful things to look at:
Web Domain
"About Us"
"Affiliations"
What other People have to Say
Advertising
"General Feel"
When you're evaluating web sites and web information, most basically, you are trying to determine credibility--which sites have it, and which sites don't.
But what about non-Web materials? The following types of resources can generally be viewed as credible (but as we will discuss, that doesn't mean you still shouldn't be skeptical in your evaluation and use of information).
Peer Reviewed Materials
Government Information
But, But, But!