Identify Reliable Information on the Internet
Table of Contents
- The importance of the Internet
- Tools to identify the most reliable information on the Internet
- Academic search engine
- Official sources
- Experts in the field
- How to know if a web article is reliable?
- Quality seal
- Date of publication
- Author of the publication
- Bibliography
In this digital era, the Internet is a tool that has undoubtedly revolutionized the world as it was known 40 years ago.
It is a global phenomenon linked to communication, but it influences practically all areas of society.
The importance to Identify Reliable Information on the Internet
The Internet is a free tool available around the clock and useful for communication between all people.
In addition, it offers the opportunity to obtain information of all kinds, which is why it is compared to a gigantic library full of books.
One of the greatest virtues of the Internet is that you can get information on any subject simply by having an extensive and fast search engine.
In addition, universities, research organizations, and other entities have web pages to learn everything about them.
Companies also report on their services to make themselves known, create events, and provide information about their services.
Tools to identify the most reliable information on the Internet
To find reliable information on the Internet, you can consider several resources, tools, or tricks.
The academic search engines
The academic search engine is a must for any student, as you can find all kinds of technical and scientific articles. The information that appears guarantees quality and reliability as it comes from the scientific and professional community.
Some of the best-known search engines are:
World Wide Science: several national and international scientific databases and portals.
Google academic: search engine for academic bibliography.
Academia.edu: used to share research papers among academics. When I need to revise my essay for correct writing and science credibility, I can find a lot of reliable information courses here.
Official sources
Remember that you can opt for sources in this network, which offer security and veracity in the information they provide, such as newspapers, journals, and official documents from public institutions.
If a news item on a topic has statistics or precise data, but no link is linked to it, it is best to be suspicious as you are unaware of its validity.
Experts on the subject
You may think it is challenging to get in touch with a professional person in a specific subject, but platforms have been developed that have made it more accessible.
One of the best-known examples is LinkedIn. This social community is business-oriented and allows you to target professionals from any sector.
How do you know if a web article is reliable?
Some signs can give you an idea of whether the content you are looking for is reliable or not.
Quality seal
Some organizations have decided to put a quality seal on their website to give confidence to the people on the other side of the screen.
One of the best known is HONcode which, to obtain it, the website must go through an evaluation carried out by a committee of experts.
Date of publication
There are articles written a long time ago that have become outdated. The date of publication and updating of content is also vital signs to consider and provide trust.
Author of the publication
Although countless contents do not have an author, others do, and this allows to know who has written it and if he/she is an expert in the subject or not.
Bibliography
A complete and quality article usually contains the bibliographic sources that have been used for its elaboration.
In short, the Internet is a very important tool for finding information, but it is not always reliable. Do not hesitate to consider some of these tricks and tools to find out if the information is of quality, safe and reliable.