As it gets easier for anyone to create and upload content online, it becomes more challenging to confirm if an online resource is trustworthy. An essential skill in academic writing is evaluating online resources to identify authentic sources for your work.

Previously, newspapers, libraries, and books were the primary sources of verifiable information. Now that millions of blogs and websites are brimming with content, it’s almost impossible to detect erroneous data.

Additionally, many content developers copy content from other websites without verifying if it’s credible or not. So unless you use a professional paper writing service to help me write my essay for cheap or help you with other assignments, here are some guidelines for evaluating online resources.

Author profile 

The author of the content should have a credible profile that shows they are experts on the subject discussed in the article. You can locate information about the author on the website where you found the content. 

Also, a credible author should be cited and published on other authoritative websites. By looking at their bio, you should be able to determine their level of credibility. For example, essay writing service review sites provide extra information about writers such services employ.

However, it’s not easy to determine an author’s authenticity via the internet, given that people also write for several reasons. Some do it for work, leisure, or to market a product or service.

Clickbait articles 

Clickbait articles use sensational headlines and outlandish titles to get more clicks on their site. Usually, no valuable content matches the headline when you finally click on the title.

Steer clear of titles that are alarming, shocking, or surprising. Also, consider the featured image for the article. If the image is the only thing drawing you to the article, it’s most likely unreliable clickbait content.

You also need to be wary of sites that lead you to a survey without your permission. These sites usually have nothing credible to offer and are just for promotional purposes.

Accuracy 

Another way to evaluate online sources is to check for accuracy. Your sources must provide factual information that can be verified on other authoritative websites.

Credible sites are also free of grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors. Poor spelling and lots of typos only reveal how careless the author could be. How, then, can you trust information published on that site?

Credible sources will provide a reference list to help the reader double-check the facts cited in the article. They will also use copyeditors and content publishers to go over the content severally with fresh eyes, fact-checking all the data. 

Objectivity 

Every internet resource intends to inform, explain, persuade, or instruct. When reading the article, it should be evident that the author is trying to transfer unbiased knowledge to its readers. 

Credible sources remain objective, presenting the facts and leaving the readers to decide for themselves. The ideas should also be substantiated in other credible websites to establish authenticity.

As a standard rule, no author should let their views or personal opinion muddy the facts in the article. For added credibility, every subjective opinion should also be supported with credible evidence. This is also the rule the best research writing services use when writing papers for students.​​

Currency and relevance 

Most content publishers claim to update their content regularly, but this is not always the case. Ignore the date the webpage was created or how recently the pages are updated – a lot of that is merely ceremonial.

Authoritative sources often include an ‘Updated’ paragraph to indicate that they have discovered (and added) new information on the topic. It also shows that they are current with events happening in that niche. In general, avoid websites with broken links and outdated information.

References and citation 

Authentic references and links to external sources often increase a document’s credibility. It shows the depth of research and scholarship that the author possesses and contributes to making them an authority in that field.

Wikipedia, for instance, shouldn’t be one of the sources cited in your essay. However, you can leverage the references below the Wikipedia article and do your research. 

Also, you need to be wary of articles with facts not attached to verifiable links. Often, some sites are subsidiaries of the parent organization to which they’re linked.

Personal websites 

Many people keep personal websites to share opinions on subjects that matter to them. While personal websites can be a source of helpful information, they usually drift into opinion territory.

Unless the author is Neil Patel (for content marketing) or a highly recognized figure in that niche, you must find the author’s affiliations. The truth is, it’s easier to spread propaganda and false information on personal websites than those owned by organizations or independent international bodies.

Online databases 

There are a host of databases where you can find reliable information. Some online databases are streamlined to a specific niche, while others cut across various fields.

For instance, JSTOR is a database that hosts a variety of journals and books in the sciences, humanities, and arts. You can trust online resources in a database because they undergo a thorough screening before publication.

Website structure 

You can determine if a website is credible by observing its structure. Confirm if the website name is familiar or whether the publisher is reputable on the subject matter.

Reliable sources of information often end in .org, .edu, .gov, and other credible web domains. However, some internationally reputed websites end in .com as well. Also, consider the website logo, URL, webpages, and domain names.

Conclusion 

You must be careful when sourcing for credible content to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement. Your goal is to verify the author’s credibility, avoid suspicious websites, and use only updated information. You may not be able to erase fake news sites, but you can spot them anywhere and be wary of them.