Knowing why it's vital to evaluate free sources on the web is just as important.
- The sheer amount of information available is exponential
- The variety of purposes that individuals, organizations, associations, businesses, governments, (etc) create and upload content (to sell, to convince, to lie, to educate, etc)
- The credibility of the content creators (what is their background, training, expertise, experience, etc)
- The accuracy of the information (false, proven otherwise, wrong data, out-of-date, etc)
Knowing how to evaluate free sources on the web is vital and expected at the college level. This can be done quickly and becomes a life-long good habit based on your common sense.
- Check the url to see what kind of website it is (.org, .com, .edu, .gov, etc)
- Find the "about" link (either at the top or at the bottom) to learn more about who is behind the site and the level of transparency
- Find the date that the site was last updated or a date that gives some idea of whether the site is maintained
- Is there advertising? Advertising on a site isn't "bad" but tells you more about the purpose of the site
- A quick scan can tell you something about the validity, accuracy, and purpose of the site
There are sites that are good starting places for research, but at the college level, it's not a good idea to cite it as a reference (but always check with your professor!)
- Wikipedia is an example. Wikipedia can be used as a tool to get to other more reliable information, because you can quickly gather context and background information, and use the notes, references or outside links provided at the bottom of the article.
- A Wikipedia article on Mindfulness
