It doesn't matter if you can find a quality source if you aren't able to identify whether that source fits your information needs. By interpreting your assignment and taking a step back to think about your needs, you will be able to evaluate what you have found to determine its relevance to your needs.
| You need... | Look for... |
|---|---|
| general information | sources that provide overviews to help you gain understanding |
| opinions on a topic | sources that share points of views on a topic |
| facts to support your statements | research articles, data sources, or statistical resources |
| specific examples | first-person narratives or case studies |
| an expert's take | scholarly research articles, books, or other works written by someone who has demonstrated expertise |
| the latest information | newspapers or websites |
As a starting point for evaluating websites, one might use the part of the web address immediately after the "dot" (for example, .com) to try to determine the reliability of the information. This part of the address (or URL) is called a "top-level domain" that someone asks to have when creating their website. The websites you most frequently visit have top-level domains, or TLDs, that likely fall into one of the following categories:
| TLD | Category | A site with this TLD can be registered by... |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Unrestricted | Anyone |
| .edu | Sponsored | An accredited US-based college or university approved by EDUCAUSE |
| .gov | Sponsored | federal, state, or local governments within the US approved by an independent government agency |
| .net | Unrestricted | Anyone |
| .org | Unrestricted | Anyone |
| .va | Country Code | officials of the Vatican |
| .za | Country Code | mainly South African citizens and businesses, but no policy excludes others from registering |
