The process of finding information on the Internet is a relatively simple task. Unfortunately, not all of the information found online is accurate, therefore it's an individual's responsibility to determine whether the information is trustworthy. The reliability of information found on the Internet can be evaluated by looking at a number of things.

Origin of the Information

The accuracy of information found online depends heavily upon who created it. For instance, is the author of the webpage an authority on the subject? A reliable Internet resource will often include the credentials of the writer. Furthermore, if the author's name is included a visitor will be able to look for other examples of his or her work. 

Purpose of the Website

A visitor to a website should try to determine why it was created. Some websites are created to enlighten visitors on particular subjects. For example, a website with an Internet address that ends in .edu is there to educate visitors in some way. Other websites may contain a little bit of information on a topic, but are really in existence to sell a product or a service. In short, a person must learn to recognize the reasons behind the existence of a website.

Accuracy of a Webpage's Information

One way to verify the accuracy of an Internet resource is to check the credentials of the person who contributed the information. The person may have written other online articles on the same topic or perhaps even a book. Also, a person can see if a fact found on one Internet resource can be verified elsewhere on the Internet or in print. In addition, an individual may want to conduct research on the author of a webpage to learn about his or her educational background or training in a particular discipline. 

Relevance of a Website for a Research Topic

Ideally, a person who is researching a particular topic wants to find Internet resources that are in existence strictly to inform visitors about the specific topic they are researching. A website that is entirely focused on the subject being researched is most likely going to have more accurate information then a website that only has one short page of information on the subject you are researching with the focus of the rest of the website being something unrelated. Websites with suffixes of .edu and .gov are often helpful to students and other people who are conducting research. A visitor on the Internet should make an effort to determine whether the information on a webpage is the main focus or an incidental part of the page. 

Checking a Website's Information

Anyone conducting research on the Internet would be prudent to make sure the information on a webpage is accurate. An individual may want to research some print resources to see if the fact he or she found online can be verified. Also, checking the legitimacy of the website itself is helpful. Oftentimes a website will include information about its creators and its purpose on the homepage.  

Determining Whether a Website Contains a Bias

When a person is conducting research online, it's likely he or she is looking for objective facts and information. Sometimes the author of a webpage offers information that goes along with his or her own beliefs and motivations. Consequently, a person conducting research on the Internet must be on the lookout for websites that may contain bias. Once again, an individual is responsible for deciding whether the authors of a website are interested in providing objective information or whether they are attempting to influence a reader's conclusions.

For more information on evaluating web resources, please visit:

• Evaluating a Resource on the Internet: Find some pertinent questions to consider when evaluating the reliability of an Internet resource.

• Points to Consider When Evaluating an Internet Resource: Discover a list of questions that will help a person determine the trustworthiness of an Internet resource.

• Eight Elements of Evaluating an Internet Resource: Look at eight qualities to consider when evaluating a web resource.

• Reminders When Evaluating an Internet Resource: Peruse a list of simple questions to answer that will help in evaluating an Internet resource.

• A Simple Way to Evaluate an Internet Resource: Learn how to use the five W's to determine the reliability of an Internet resource.

• Learning to Evaluate an Internet Resource and More: Checkout some features to consider when evaluating an Internet resource. Also includes other helpful articles on the topic.

• Verifying Information on the Internet: Study a list of things to check when evaluating an Internet resource and learn the importance of searching for reliable information online.

• Tips for Evaluating an Internet Resource: Discover some important aspects to consider when evaluating an Internet resource along with some practical examples.

• Examining the Elements of an Internet Resource: Find out the ten elements helpful in evaluating an Internet resource.

• Questions for Evaluating an Internet Resource: Peruse a list of basic questions to keep in mind while evaluating an Internet resource.

• Determining the Reliability of an Internet Resource: Read a list of qualities such as content and authority to take into account when evaluating Internet resources. 

• Help in Evaluating an Internet Resource: Study a list of questions to keep in mind in evaluating the usefulness of an Internet resource.

• Evaluating Elements of an Internet Resource: Review a selection of questions to ask concerning various elements of a website.

• Checklist of Items for Evaluating an Internet Resource: View a list of questions to consider when evaluating an Internet resource that are accompanied by detailed explanations.

• Path to Evaluating an Internet Resource: Find a gathering of relevant questions to ask in the process of evaluating an Internet resource.

• Internet Resource Evaluation: Learn about the various domain suffixes and what they mean as well as other points to look for in a reliable Internet resource.