Sociology Research Guide: Websites

Can't I just use Google?

We aren't going to tell you not to ever use Google -- we use it to answer questions all the time! Just remember that not everything you find will be reliable, unbiased, up-to-date information.

If your professor allows you to use websites for your research paper/project, make sure you critically evaluate them first.

How do I evaluate something on the internet?

Ask yourself some questions about what you're reading:

• Who? Who owns the site—e.g., a company, a government agency, a university, an individual blogger? Who writes articles on the website, and what else do they write about?
• What? What does the site tell you about your topic? Does it back up claims with citations or links to other reliable websites?
• When? When was the site published/last updated? You should not find any broken links.
• Why? Why was the site created—e.g., to inform, to entertain, to sell something? Does the site contain an "About Us" section or mission statement?

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