When evaluating online resources, it's hard to let go of our own biases. However, often False News can be used as a tool to keep those biases in check. Learning to look deeper using tools presented in this research guide is the first step. You don't have to agree with everything that you read, but sometimes making the best case you can for a perspective or argument that conflicts with your own beliefs and perceptions will help you make your own arguments better.
Chainsawsuit comic by Kris Straub, from Sept. 16, 2014
The Web address for Websites can tell you a lot about the site & its content (the creator, the audience, & the purpose). The domain (proper name) of a Website will tell you who created the page (the part after the www). Often this is the business, person, or organization, i.e. www.amazon.com. The end of the URL, the domain suffix, will help you determine what type of organization owns the Website. Other key indicators of a fictitious Website is the lack of an author or citations.
.com = Commercial site, which means there is incentive to make money.
.edu = Educational institution. One must be careful in the Webpages produced by an educational institution, because not all are owned by a department or research center. Some Webpages with .edu can be created by students.
.gov = Government. These are Websites published by all branches of the federal government. These Websites are considered impartial & unbiased. One may find Census statistics, Congressional hearings, preformed studies and Supreme Court rulings.
.org = Traditionally a non-profit organization. Generally, the information is impartial and unbiased, but there are organizations that strongly advocate specific points of view over others. Look to see if the organization has any commercial interests. If the organization has commercial interests, you do not want to use it as a resource.
.mil = Military. This suffix is used by the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States.
.net = Network. This suffix acts as a catch-all for sites that don't fit into any of the preceding domain suffixes. Information from these sites should be given careful scrutiny.
adapted from USC Upstate Library https://uscupstate.libguides.com/c.php?g=257977&p=1721715
