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DEMONSTRATION ONLY: This demonstration presents an abbreviated version of the complete VPT course. Click 'Next' at the bottom of the screen or make a selection from the links on the left to begin. Not all links are available for the demo.
Recognize and Apply Appropriate Research Skills and Strategies
Credibility and the Web
Another way to check the credibility of the website is to review the website’s sources. If there are not sources cited or they cannot be traced back to one of the established sources discussed previously, the information is suspect. Erroneous websites can spread information with astonishing speed online, so making sure the content comes from credible sources is important. There will still be cases where accurate information is taken out of context or misrepresented. For example, Holocaust denial websites are notorious for taking legitimate sources completely out of context or editing it in misleading ways.
The web itself can also be a good place to check the credibility of the site. Doing a search of the web address will reveal who else is using the information. If a human rights organization is cited by the United Nations, it is probably a credible source. If it is only cited by other unknown websites using it to make the same point as the original website, there is reason to doubt it. If a researcher is uncertain about a web source, it is better to try and find the same information elsewhere. Websites or sources that are not up to research standards can be useful for generating ideas about the topic but should not be used in research unless most of the criteria listed above are met.
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