Reliable Source or Not?

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After reading the following information about how to search for reliable internet sources, use this cool technology tool to help you analyze just how reliable your source is.

The Internet is a great resource for research, but you have to remember that it is a public place where anyone can post information. When you want to find a trustworthy source, you need to first take the time to make sure it is reliable. The following are the steps to take to make sure that you have a valid site:

1. Always check to make sure that the source has an author. You can check the author's background to help validate the information.

2. Check the sites URL (http://...) If the site ends in .edu, it is probably an educational site, and you should still be aware of personal opinions. If the site ends in .gov it is probably a reliable government website. You will most likely find factual information here. Sites that end in .org are usually non-profit organization sites and can be reliable and unreliable, so make sure that you are careful not to take someone's opinion as the truth. You can find information on this site that will give you facts, but you may also run across political opinions that might slant one way or the other.

3. You can also follow research suggestions from http://www.virtualsalt.com which suggests that the CARS (credibility, accuracy, reasonableness, and support) method is great for evaluating sources.


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