Georgetown University has an excellent webpage with tips for effectively evaluating the resources you find on the Internet. While the Internet is wonderful in creating connections and access to information, it also presents some challenges. The publishing model for books and printed material provided some protection for information seekers because it meant most information available to researchers had to go through a line of editors and fact-checkers before it became avaialble to the public. The Internet has created the ability for anyone and everyone to post information. Sometimes that is a good thing. There are new opportunities for diverse voices to be heard that might not have been available with the old model of publishing. In addition, it allows for discovery of new information at a much faster rate. However, that also means there is now a much faster venue for dissemination of false information. Georgetown's guide sums this up well:
"Unlike similar information found in newspapers or television broadcasts, information available on the Internet is not regulated for quality or accuracy; therefore, it is particularly important for the individual Internet user to evaluate the resource or information. Keep in mind that almost anyone can publish anything they wish on the Web. It is often difficult to determine authorship of Web sources, and even if the author is listed, he or she may not always represent him or herself honestly, or he or she may represent opinions as fact. The responsibility is on the user to evaluate resources effectively."
When in doubt, ask a librarian or your teacher for help!
"Evaluating Internet Content", Georgetown University Library 2016
This excellent site gives quick insight into 24 different logical fallacies that trip us up and creep into our thinking as bias. You can't address bias if you aren't aware of it and this site can help you figure out where your bias on an issue lies.
