8 Ways to Tell If a Website Is Reliable

8 Ways to Tell If a Website Is Reliable For every reputable website, there are dozens chock full of information thats inaccurate, unreliable or just plain nutty. For the unwary, inexperienced journalist  or researcher, such sites can present a minefield of possible problems. With that in mind, here are eight ways to tell if a website is reliable. 1. Look for Sites from Established Institutions The internet is full of websites that were started five minutes ago. What you want are sites associated with trusted institutions that have been around for awhile and have a proven track record of reliability and integrity. Such sites may include those run by government agencies, non-profit organizations,  foundations, or colleges and universities. 2. Look for Sites with Expertise You wouldnt go to an auto mechanic if you broke your leg, and you wouldnt go to the hospital to have your car repaired. Im making an obvious point: Look for websites that specialize in the kind of information youre seeking. So if youre writing a story on a flu outbreak, check out medical websites, such as the Centers for Disease Control, and so on. 3. Steer Clear of Commercial Sites Sites run by companies and business - their websites usually end in .com - are more often than not trying to sell you something. And if theyre trying to sell you something, chances are whatever information theyre presenting will be tilted in favor of their product. Thats not to say corporate sites should be excluded entirely. But be wary. 4. Beware of Bias Reporters write a lot about politics, and there are plenty of political websites out there. But many of them are run by groups that have a bias in favor of one political party or philosophy. A conservative website isnt likely to report objectively on a liberal politician, and vice versa. Steer clear of sites with a political ax to grind and instead look for ones that are non-partisan. 5. Check the Date As a reporter you need  the most up-to-date information available, so if a website seems old, its probably best to steer clear. One way to check - look for a last updated date on the page or site. 6. Consider  the Sites Look If a site looks poorly designed and amateurish, chances are it was created by amateurs. Steer clear. But be careful - just because a website is professionally designed doesnt mean its reliable. 7. Avoid Anonymous Authors Articles or studies whose authors are named are often - though not always - more reliable than works produced anonymously. It makes sense: If someone is willing to put their name on something theyve written, chances are they stand by the information it contains. And if you have the name of the author, you can always Google them to check their credentials. 8. Check the Links Reputable websites often link to each other. You can find out which other websites link to the site youre researching by conducting a link-specific Google search. Enter the following text into the Google search field, replacing [WEBSITE] with the domain of the site youre researching: link:[WEBSITE].com The search results will show you which websites link to the one youre researching. If lots of sites are linking to your site, and those sites seem reputable, then thats a good sign.