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How to choose credible internet sources of information
With more than 50 percent of the U.S. population having Internet access, and given the increasing number of people searching daily for information on the Worldwide Web, there is a growing need to help people figure out whether a website is credible or not. Should you believe everything you find on the Internet? Just because information is published on the Internet, doesn't mean it's accurate. Some websites are intentionally designed to be believable but are in fact written quite cleverly to sell you something and are not objective, accurate, reliable or reievant. Read on for tips to help you decide what information is believable and accurate on the Internet.
Tipfl Startbyexaminingthepageitself.LookattheWeb address(URL). What kind of domain is it? Is it .edu, .gov, .org, .net, .com? This may provide a clue as to who sponsors the website.
* .gov - the site ts operated by a government body. These sources tend to be credible.
* .edu = the site is operated by an educational institution. These sources ako tend to be credible.
* .org = the site is operated by a non-profit institution, These sources tend to have an obvious bias, but are ako credible.
* .com = the site is "commercial "Be cautious about these, as they can be credible or unsupported and inaccurate.
* .net = the site is generally used to denote "network and computer" topics. Use some caution with these domains.
Tip #2 Lookfor the author or organization name and credentiak Where does the information originate from? The author or organization should be clearly displayed on the website. If the credentials are missing, consider this ared flag. You can also look to see if the article was reviewed and validated by certified dentists or doctors, such as a dental or medical editorial board.
Any research study or article that claims to improve your health should contribute to an existing body of knowledge. In other words, one study alone...