In the present-day world, there is a significant number of online sources people use to receive information for their study or research. However, not all of the sources on the Internet are credible. Therefore, the primary task is to learn how to identify the sources, which can be used for scientific research. The search for trustworthy information on the Internet can be challenging for students, but specific methods help to make it easier.
The reason why people find it difficult to distinguish the reliable sources from the unreliable ones lies in the fact that they do not understand what research is. They tend to focus on the information obtained from the most popular sources, such as newspapers and blogs, without consideration of their authors’ expertise.
For example, when researching the natural sciences, such as chemistry or physics, or social sciences, scholars need to match their findings to empirical evidence and experiments conducted by other scholars in the chosen area (Childs, 2019). In this case, library databases can be of great help for people doing research (Top tips for finding high-quality scholarly resources, 2017). Thus, the first task for researchers is to focus on who provided the information and what area it describes.
However, the process of defining reliable information does not end with the identification of the author and his expertise. To be confident, one also needs to consult some other reliable sources to compare their data to the primary one (Childs, 2019). This step is essential for verifying the accuracy of the chosen source. Otherwise, its credibility can be questioned, and some additional research would be required.
One more essential concern of a scholar in determining the credibility of a source is the possible biased attitude of the author towards the studied topic. In this case, the religious or political beliefs of an author or an organization are vital when choosing a reliable source (Childs, 2019). This fact makes most newspapers and magazines invalid for further research, and they should, therefore, be avoided. One needs to pay special attention to the general policy of such sources of information.
It also relates to all the information posted in popular blogs as their authors’ primary goal is to present their worldview, not the unbiased information suitable for research.
The sources published online can be checked by their end designations as well. The use of websites is deemed to be a better option for the development of critical thinking as the researchers need to define their credibility by the initial objective. Websites that end with.com usually present the information of companies selling their products and serve for the higher profit (Childs, 2019). Such sources cannot be reliable and are not recommended for scientific research.
If researchers want to resort to websites, they should use the ones ending with.org, which stands for non-profit organizations,.gov, presenting the information from the government agencies, or.edu, referring to educational resources (Childs, 2019). Proper citing of such sources would help provide actual information on the chosen topic.
To overcome the challenge of finding reliable information for research, one needs to follow the guidelines. They include the definition of the author and its expertise, comparison of various sources, and their initial goal. In the case, if a researcher takes into consideration all the possible credibility issues, such as the lack of evidence or potential bias, the task seems to be quite easy.
References
Childs, D. (2019). What makes valid research? How to verify if a source is credible on the Internet. Democracy & Me. Web.
Top tips for finding high-quality scholarly resources. (2017). Web.