How to Detect Bad (Inaccurate) Sources
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Research is a necessity in every writer’s life. This is especially true for “career writers,” or those who rely on writing for a living. The daily deliverables of these career writers can be too much that, sometimes, research is done carelessly. This is actually a mistake that can be prevented by just applying some discernment in research sources, especially if these sources are found online.
Online research seems like the best thing since sliced bread; yet, there are pitfalls to this present-day convenience. As websites take opportunity of several online ad programs, there has been a prolification of “bad” websites that use “bad” sources. The point of these websites is just to rank high in the search engines. These do not really concern themselves with clarity and truthfulness. Likewise, even reliable reference sites like Wikipedia.com may not always be that trustworthy. Because sites like Wikipedia are user-edited, it can be subject to malicious intent by some. There are human checkers, of course, but the sheer number of pages in sites like those can be daunting. Not everything can be checked and rechecked every time.
An Internet user and researcher can sidestep these pitfalls through these simple tips:
1. Double-check. Sites like Wikipedia require their users to cite sources. A researcher can go back to these sources and confirm what is said. This way, one is assured that any claims, statements, and statistics – the gray areas in research – are true.
2. Use the reliable online sources. Instead of blindly searching the web, it is sometimes more productive to search the reliable sites. There are several government sites that have made their libraries and statistical documents available online. Also, websites of education institutions may have information related to what you are looking for. These are great resources as well. The secret really is to know what you need. For sure, there are legitimate sites that feature these.