HIST 2110 - US Comprehensive Survey: Find Reliable Internet Sources
Is it ever OK to use Internet Sources?
Yes! You won't be abandoning internet sources completely, but you will need to know WHEN it is appropriate to use internet sources. This will depend on a variety of factors, but mainly on the assignment perimeters and the type of information you are trying to find. It's important to know WHAT you are looking at when you search the web, because you are going to find a ton of information. Understanding the Information Cycle will help, and also knowing how to critically evaluate these sources will be vital. The CRAAP Test will become your best friend as you try to navigate the multitude of information on the internet!
*Remember, if you ever have any doubts about a source, ASK your Professor BEFORE using it!
Evaluating Internet Sources
The CRAAP Test is a list of questions you can ask yourself in order to determine if the information on a web site is reliable. CRAAP is an acronym for:
Currency - Is the material current? Does it contain outdated or disproven information? Is the site maintained regularly?
Relevance - Is the material relevant to your question?
Author - Who wrote the content? What are the author's qualifications? Is there a way to contact the author?
Accuracy - How accurate is the information? What evidence does the author use? Does the author cite sources?
Purpose - What is the purpose of the content? Is the content objective or biased?
Domain Name Suffixes
A domain name suffix (the last letters of a web address), reveal a lot about the type of website. Here are a few common domain name suffixes:
.com = Commercial
.org = Non-profit
.gov = Government Website
.edu = Educational