Question

Which of the following sources are reliable? Check all that apply.

government websites (ending in .gov)
education websites (ending in .edu)
organization websites (ending in .org)
online newspapers
websites written without expertise
websites with outdated information

Answer 1

Reliable (generally)
- ✓ government websites (ending in .gov) — generally reliable for official data, laws, and statistics; still check date and source.
- ✓ education websites (ending in .edu) — generally reliable for research and teaching materials; verify author and date.

Sometimes reliable (need evaluation)
- ◦ organization websites (ending in .org) — many are trustworthy (nonprofits, professional groups), but some are advocacy-driven or biased. Check mission, funding, and citations.
- ◦ online newspapers — many reputable papers are reliable, but quality varies. Prefer established outlets, check for bylines, sources, and corroboration.

Not reliable (as-is)
- ✗ websites written without expertise — not reliable for factual claims; look for qualified authors and citations before trusting.
- ✗ websites with outdated information — not reliable for current facts; check the publication/update date and seek more recent sources.

Quick checks for any source: who is the author/owner, what are their credentials or funding, are claims supported by cited evidence, and when was it last updated?