Finding Information – How do I find a Reliable Source?

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     Where is your favorite place to go to find information?  Do you prefer going online, the library, or school?

     More importantly, which place is the best to go to in order to find reliable information?

     Here are some resources that you can use in order to find information:

·         Dictionary

·         Newspaper

·         Magazines

·         Atlas

·         Online Encyclopedia

·         Books

·         Web sites

     Now that you have found a resource, you must determine whether or not the source is reliable.

There are some important steps you should think about before gathering information.

Where did the source come from?

Who is the author of the book?  Is the author an expert in the field?  Does he or she have experience and/or the education to write about the topic?  Make sure that the person who wrote the book, magazine article has the skills and expertise in the field.  Also, make sure that the author isn’t writing with bias (i.e. does the author profit in any way by writing from a certain perspective?).

The younger the better!

How old is the source?  If you are doing a report, for example, you may wish to find information from current text (e.g. a year or two old is best).  The benefit of new information is that scientists, writers, and researchers are always learning more in all fields of study.  You definitely want the most current information to use for your school projects.

Online Resources

Who developed the website?  What makes the person who developed the website an expert?  Do they have a university degree?  Experience in their field?  Have they published books?  Do they reference other experts? 

Don’t just accept information because it’s on a website!

What is the purpose of the website?  Does the person who developed the site want to inform, sell, or present a bias because of their religious or political beliefs?  Okay, everyone wants to sell something, but be informed about the real ‘reason’ behind the development of a specific website.

     Make sure that you carefully check all your resources before you find your information.  It won’t take you long to do a little research before you do the ‘bigger’ research.

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