Are the websites you find when you're doing research trustworthy? Information for school papers and projects should come from credible sources - sites that are reliable and valid. Starting out with good sources of information doesn't guarantee your paper will be good, but trying to make a good paper out of bad information doesn't work.
There is no single, simple way to evaluate websites. Some rely on the domain of the website, believing that .gov, .org, and .edu sites are more reliable than .com sites, but that's not always the case. There are several factors to take into account to determine if you've found a good source of information
Most of the methods you may see boil down to three factors - the ABC's of evaluating websites.
Authority: Is the author an expert? You can also look at the reputation of the publication or the organization that the information comes from.
Bias: What is the point of view of the source? Do they have an agenda? Biased information may be useful for your particular topic, but it is important to be aware that the information may be slanted and that other viewpoints exist.
Currency: Is the information up-to-date? Older information may be needed for your topic, but you may also need more current sources.
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