Evaluating Resources

• Who is the author/producer of the document?
• Is the author/producer an expert on the subject, as indicated on the credentials page?
• Has the author written other articles or other types of research work?
• Is the sponsor/location of the site appropriate to the materials as shown in the URL?
  • Examples:
  .biz for business organizations
  .com for commercial products or commercially-sponsored sites
  .edu for educational or research material
  .gov for government resources
  .info for unrestricted use
  .int for international organizations
  .mil for US Department of Defense
  .name for personal use
  .net for networks
  .org for nonprofit organizations
  • * (~NAME in URL may indicate a personal Homepage with no official connections)
• Does the author/producer provide a "Mail to" link that allows for feedback or submission of questions?

While the above criteria are good ways to measure authority, you should also know that work produced by first time authors can be authoritative and reliable.