Domain Names
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.
A.R.T. Infographic
- The A.R.T. of Reading LaterallyGet your own copy of the A.R.T. graphic
Lateral Research Handout
- The A.R.T. Test
A rubric for evaluating web sites or web articles based on Author, Reliability, and Target
Why evaluate websites?
When searching for information on the "free web", you need to be critical. Here are a few reasons:
- On the "free web", anyone can post information, which can be unreliable and inaccurate
- The amount of information online can be overwhelming; there are currently more than 357 million websites in existence
- When searching the web, you get A LOT of results, many of which may not be relevant
- Many websites may have an agenda, or may be trying to sell you something
- Search results bring varying results, only some of which may be relevant for your research
- Scholarly sources are usually not available on the "free web." They are located primarily in library databases
The A.R.T. of Reading Laterally
