Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Credibility on the internet

One thing you can do to verify the credibility of an article is to check out the source of the information. If the source is a scholarly, the information is more apt to be accurate. A scholarly is someone who is an expert in the subject matter, such as: professors, doctors, lawyers, scientists, etc. A good idea is to try to find three different ways to test a source’s credibility. If there is no author listed, you can use easywhois.com to find out who owns the site.

If the author provides a way to communicate, add comments, or ask questions – it is more credible. When verifying credibility online, a person should notice where they are finding the information. If the site is a .gov or .edu, it is a more credible source. Just because it is a professional looking website, does not make it reliable. Checking for cited sources, reference list, or footnotes is also a good idea. The format of what you are reading can also be a good indicator.

Articles that include technical terms, terminology and jargon from the industry can be a good indication. If the format includes a lot of charts and graphs, and is text heavy – it can also be viewed as more reliable.

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