Types of Internet Sources

The Internet has millions of Web sites related to psychology topics, but not all of these sites are of high quality. Following are some types of resources that you will find on the Internet:

• Professional organziation Web pages (such as American Psychological Association)

• Government agency Web pages (such as National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Health)

• Web sites that are trying to sell something

• Web sites that are trying to push a particular point of view

Evaluating Internet sources

Authority What are the author's credentials? Does the author have expertise on the subject? Many Internet sources do not give the identity or credentials of the author or producer. Sources that do not give this information have questionable reliability. The author may be an organization or professional association. Timeliness When was the information published? Is the date of publication important to the subject matter? Documentation Does the author give the source of information or refer to other works? Purpose What is the purpose of the source? Is it to inform, persuade, present opinions, report research, or sell a product? For what audience is it intended? Does it show any bias? Is it popular or scholarly? Review process If a source is from the Internet, was there any review process at all? Was it critically reviewed after it was written? Many Internet sources are not reviewed before being posted; however, government, educational, and organizational sites have some sort of review process. If no review process is stated or evident, you may assume there is none. Suitability Does the source contain the information you need? Is it written at a level you can understand?

Citing Internet Sources