Evaluating Internet Research Sources

“The central work of life is interpretation.” –Proverb 

The 2020 article Evaluating Internet Research Sources, by Robert Harris, is available at this link. It gives an in-depth overview of some element of evaluation that you may not have considered. Check it out!

Excerpt from the article:

"Adopting a Skeptical (or Cautious) Attitude

You might have heard of the term information warfare, the use of information as a weapon. Now, as I just said above, there is a lot of high quality information available through the Internet. Unfortunately, however, there is also a large amount of misinformation (honest people mistakenly spreading false information), together with the information warfare ammunition: disinformation (dishonest people knowingly spreading false information), half truths, distortions, urban legends, fallacies, exaggerations, “fake news,” and just plain old lies. So you need to adopt a skeptical–or at least a cautious–attitude toward all knowledge claims. You don’t have to believe everything you read, hear, or see. (Nor do you have to become completely cynical and disbelieve everything.) Just be very cautious. Instead of putting each knowledge claim into your “accept” or “reject” pile, put it in a “this is claimed, but I neither accept nor reject it right now” pile. Seek confirmation and disconfirmation from other sources and your own thinking. Remember that a Web site that makes up facts, quotes people who don’t exist, and cites imaginary sources could look just as professional and slick as a highly reliable and credible site. Don’t be deceived by appearances. Develop your critical thinking skills."