Have you tried to find an answer on the Internet? That is perhaps a dumb question. The real question is, is the information you find good information, reliable information? How do you know what is credible and what isn’t? Even the good intentioned aren’t always accurate sources. Hopefully, you don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. (Except for what I write, of course…)
But with the rush to the Internet instead of to the library to do research these days, the issue needs to be considered. Young people especially tend to ignore the library and focus on googling the Internet, and I confess I have done the same when I could not get to the library. But, depending on the relative importance of information accuracy, this may not be the best thing to do.
An excellent article, “Evaluating Credibility of Information on the Internet”, by Ronald B. Standler, gives some good suggestions to those doing general research. I will not belabor the points he makes about trusting what you read.
An experience I had today, though, highlighted for me the importance of validating information that is of importance. I was researching the small town of Pratt, Kansas, about 70 or 80 miles west of Wichita, population a little over 6000, with regard to a possible move. I was using Neighboroo, a very interesting Web site that gathers information on life, people, housing, environment, and real estate development for American cities. For example, Read the rest of this entry »
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