The URL for a website can tell you a lot about the purpose of a webpage.
.com = commercial site
.net =network provider
.org =organization
.edu =education - school or university
.mil = military website
.gov = government website
.com, .net, and .org sites are less regulated, meaning anyone can register for a website with that domain. .edu, .mil, and .gov sites are MORE REGULATED, and tend to be more reliable.
When searching for information on the "free web", you need to be critical. Here are a few reasons:
When evaluating websites or any other information sources, use the following ABC Test to help evaluate the information you find:
Authority: The source of the information.
Bias: The reason the information exists.
Credibility: The reliability, correctness, and believability of the content.
Your instructor may ask you to use only scholarly resources for your paper. What's the difference between a scholarly or non-scholarly resource?
Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources include encyclopedias, books, and articles published in scholarly journals. These sources are reviewed by a panel of experts in that particular field, and are often published by a professional association or a university press. These experts ensure the information published is credible before accepting it for publication.
More information:
Non-Scholarly sources include websites, magazines, newspapers, and books that undergo no expert review prior to publishing.
Check with your instructor if you plan to use non-scholarly sources and use the ABC test to evaluate them.