The Internet has a lot of great resources. It is important, however, to evaluate the website to make sure it has reliable information before using it in your paper.
About Websites
Because it is easy for anyone to publish anything on a website, you need to find websites that contain reliable information.
Websites with these domains (the URL ending) generally have reliable information:
Websites with .com or .net. are not unreliable, but they should be used with caution. In Google's Advanced Search, you can limit your searches by domain.
Author
Who is the author of the website? Do they have a degree in the topic they are writing about? Who are they affiliated with?
(Look for author name, “about us,” “who we are,” etc… for this information)
Date
How old is the information? Has it been updated recently? (Look for the publication date)
Bias
Is the information biased? Are they taking a side of the issue and trying to push their opinion or trying to sell you something? Is it fact or opinion? It is important to use unbiased sources for informational papers.
Coverage
Is the topic fully covered? What is the purpose of the webpage? Did they author state where they got the information?
Lastly, do not use Wikipedia as a source for your academic papers. Most instructors will not allow it to be used because it is not always accurate and may not have reputable authors.
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From Austin Community College
Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism
There are few intellectual offenses more serious than plagiarism in academic and professional contexts. This resource offers advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your work.
