Research: Getting Started

It is difficult to find fair and balanced information, particularly on the Web, which is commonly used as a venue to promote the opinions of individuals and groups. When viewing Web-based information, it is important to examine the author’s point of view and potential bias.

• What are the authors goals and objectives?

• Is a particular viewpoint being presented, or is more than one viewpoint being presented?

• Is the author or organization trying to sell anything?

• Does the site reflect the agenda of a political, religious, or social group or institution?

• Watch for biased information from businesses, advocacy groups, or authors with a political or religious agenda. Be especially cautious of .com. .org, or .net domains

• Try to find out what an author or group stands for by visiting the "about us" or "mission" section of a site, which will provide you with basic information about who is running the site and what they stand for