Does it matter where the information comes from?
It's import to carefully judge the quality of information, whatever the source.
The warning, "don't believe everything you read" holds true for both print
and online materials. However, be especially careful when evaluating information
on the Web, because potentially anyone can publish anything, without an expert
judging it first.
Materials that you find in a library, on the other hand, have been through
some evaluation before you see them:
| 1. | At the publisher, an editor (or a peer-review panel) checks books and journal or magazine articles for accuracy. | |
| 2. | Librarians, often with feedback from faculty, choose the books and journal subscriptions that the library buys. This decision is based on how appropriate the materials are for academic research. |
Most information on the Web does not go through these stages
of evaluation before you see it, so you need to be especially thoughtful and
critical as you evaluate Web materials.