THE BEAST

It is becoming increasingly difficult to assess the trustworthiness of online content. Anyone can create and publish anything online, from questionable articles to manipulated videos, with just a few clicks.

College students writing research papers worth a considerable chunk of their final grade should always use reputable sources. Considering the amount of misinformation on the internet, what steps can you take to accomplish this? The following tips will help you evaluate a website's credibility and identify major red flags to avoid.

Authority and Authorship

An organization or individual can be the author of a website or webpage. Identifying the author can help verify the information's quality and the website's trustworthiness. A website can have different writers for different pages. You should identify the author of the material you are using. The author's information usually appears at the bottom of the first page via a link to the author page or in a profile section. 

It is crucial to consider the following after identifying the author:

• Which credentials or qualifications does the author have? Go to Google and search for their name.
• Do they have any other writings?
• Are they well-known in their field?
• Does the organization that owns the website have permission to comment on the topic?

A lack of an author's identity could make the information unreliable

Beware of Odd URLs

Some websites spoof legitimate ones by swapping letters or adding characters to the URL that can easily be ignored or mistaken for others. Compared to the real ones, "Facebook.com" and "Faceb00k.com" looks strange and suspicious. It is essential to double-check the URL in the address bar after clicking a link from another site to make sure you are in the right place.

A trustworthy website usually has the following domain:

• .edu (for academic institutions)
• .gov (for federal agencies)

As for other types of domains, they may carry legitimate information, but you should view them with caution:

• .org (for registered organizations who advocate for a cause in their communications, but you should check out their purpose)
• 
  .com (for businesses such as online study platforms like Studocu with free summary notes, exam prep and lecture notes, social media sites, and other companies that sell products for profit)
  
• .net (usually used by network service providers)

Check for Typos and Poor Grammar

Online actors hastily build websites to gain cash or sensitive information, leaving little time to proofread or check their sites for consistency. It is not uncommon for well-meaning bloggers to make grammatical or spelling errors in their claims. Despite their good intentions, professionals may not always proofread and verify their work, which shows it may not be a reliable source of information. 

Occasionally, you can overlook errors, but if they pop out like sore thumbs, it will help to verify the site you've landed on ASAP by following the other tips in this article. Conversely, polished websites with correct spelling and grammar use editors and proofreaders to ensure that the content they publish is accurate and reliable.

Review the Website's Design

Online content production involves a lot of time, effort, and money from professionals and organizations. Poorly made pieces of work reflect their makers. Older designs, unreadable fonts, and inaccessible or irrelevant links indicate a potentially unreliable or amateur website. Likewise, a website with shady pop-up advertisements or low-quality images unrelated to the content and not mobile-friendly is a giveaway.

Websites with a good reputation design a smooth, compelling user experience with an eye-catching design. Consequently, you should be able to locate and navigate to the sections you need quickly and easily. Furthermore, the user interface should be easy to use, with irrelevant icons or anything that seems odd. An unattractive and difficult-to-use website is usually not a reliable source if it is visually unappealing.

Compare Different Sources 

Have you ever heard a phrase stating that some things differ from others? Although this is an adage from Sesame Street, it can prove helpful as you look for differences among similar sources when considering a website's credibility. For instance, you might notice that a reference is unreliable if it praises one perspective of a topic while attacking or ignoring all other views. A college student compares credible sources for their paper. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your different sources. 

Likewise, you should also check other credible websites for counterarguments and alternative perspectives as you write your essay. List down the main points and essential information on each website in a separate document after organizing the bulk of your research. It will help you plan a credible conclusion backed by well-rounded research. The fact that you located an article that aligns precisely with what you're looking for is nice, but if it confirms your existing beliefs, you could be subject to confirmation bias. You should be careful! 

Conclusion

It would be best to take nothing at face value when searching for information online. With this knowledge, you can identify credible sources at a glance. Cite them correctly in your work. With that, you're ready to ace your paper!