Doing Your Research Project: a guide for first-time researchers by When looking at web resources consider these questions. Cut out the middleman by going straight to the original sources. Keep in mind the context of the source.
Who
Who wrote this? Are they reliable? What are their credentials? Is it affiliated with a known/trusted institution? What are his/her/their qualifications in this subject?
What
What is the purpose of the side providing the data? Have they got an agenda? Is it biased? Does what this article says agree or disagree with other sources you've found? How is the article written? Is it casual or formal? Does it sound sensationalistic or too good to be true?
When
When is this data from? Is it up-to-date? Is there a publication date?
Where
Where is the information coming from? Can its contents be verified elsewhere with citations or references? Is there a better place to find this information? What is the domain?
Why
Why was this information written? What is the author's purpose or goals? How might those aims affect how the information is presented? Why choose this data over any other?
