Since anyone can post information online, it is important to be able to determine if the online source you found is reliable. One of the easiest ways to determine if a source is reliable is to look for links ending in .edu, .gov, or .org. Typically information from these sites is from a university, the government, or a non profit organization (NHD in WI). Other credible search databases, such as Google Scholar or Badgerlink, almost always assure that your information will be accurate. These search engines only allow trustworthy/scholarly authors to post information. Other sites, such as Yahoo Answers, Brainy Quotes, Pinterest, etc. allow anyone to post information. Thus, sources from these sites are considered not credible.
|
What about YouTube? |
The major problem with using videos from YouTube as a credible source of information is that anyone can post a video to YouTube. Thus, most of YouTube falls under a very similar category as would a post from a site like Pinterest. Even if the account is verified on YouTube, that does not mean it is a credible source. However, not all videos on YouTube can be dismissed as not credible. Various authors post videos to YouTube that are credible. These videos come from authors such as TedEd, NPR, History.com, etc. The key idea to understand if you plan to use YouTube in your research is that the author must be credible. The name of the author can be found under the video. By clicking on this name you are able to learn more about the author. If the author is legitimate, most likely the video can be found on another more respected website. A good rule of thumb is any author who's name is fluffypinkunicorns98 is not a quality source for information.
|