Skip to Main Content

Cushing Library is now permanently closed. It was a pleasure serving you!

Education Research Guide

What is a Credible Web Source?

When evaluating a web site, check these basic points:

web content
  • Author – if you cannot determine who is responsible for the content of a website (either an individual or organization), you won't be able to gauge their expertise or relationship to the subject. 
  • Domain – the last segment of the "root" of the URL (for example, hnu.edu) will tell you if the source of information is educational (.edu), governmental (.gov), or commercial (.com).
  • Date of creation or revision – it is important to establish that any content containing data, facts or statistics is up-to-date and still relevant.
  • Intended audience – if the content is intended for an academic audience, the website should provide information that can be verified using citations or external links.  
  • Purpose of the information – the ratio of content to advertisement will tell you whether the site is being used to inform readers, or to make money.

Recommended Web Resources for Education