Verify the authenticity of any site and use caution when dealing with unfamiliar addresses. Establish the author’s credentials, the web page affiliation, and date of creation. Look for contact details since reputable libraries and archives always provide a way to request additional information. Avoid the anonymous author, and watch for indications that the source is not legitimate. Find out where the information comes from, and determine if the site provides documentation. Beware of a site that contains information from an unnamed source. Always look for a known or respected authority or a well-known organizational support group. Be sure the source provides convincing evidence. As the internet grows, so do the opportunities for researchers to experience twentieth-first century technology.
Notice who is sponsoring the site: Look for sites connected with universities or libraries – here, the author’s professional reputation is riding on his or her words. (These sites usually end with edu/, org/, and gov/).