Other Considerations...
- Consider the purpose of your research. If you are looking for information about your favorite band, it would be perfectly okay to check out Wikipedia or a fan site. If, however, you are doing academic research about The Civil War, then you need reviewed, reliable (credible, scholarly) sources that can be cross-checked.
- A healthy level of doubt is very helpful when doing research. Learn to question the information you find online.
- With the Internet, everyone can be a published author. Keep this is mind when doing research online.
- "Fake News" is everywhere. It is up to you to decipher what is real and what isn't. You can stay clear of using false information by using credible, scholarly, fact-based sources.