How to Find Reliable Information on the Internet

Can you find reliable information on the internet?

Finding reliable information on the internet can be challenging. So much information is available that knowing what to believe and trust is hard. Creating and publishing a website that seems genuine and professional with less than US$100 and a few clicks is very easy.

Unfortunately, the inability to distinguish between fake and real can cause several problems, such as making wrong decisions (dangerous ones) and causing embarrassment in front of your class, your boss, or your friends. So, here is how to avoid it: learn to distinguish the reliable sources available online.

Search on Google Scholar

If you fear using an unreliable source on your academic paper, you should ensure that you only use scholarly sources. The best way to search for them is by using Google Scholar.

Google Scholar allows you to search for free and paid full-text articles and books from academic publishers, universities, and depositories. The service is free of charge, and it will provide you with both printed and digital sources. It will list citations and give you links to peer-reviewed academic journals, abstracts, technical reports, and more.

Remember that Google uses an algorithm to rank its results, primarily based on several citations. So, if you are looking for brand-new studies, keep checking the links.

Check The Author’s Credentials

Who is writing the article that you are reading? Checking this information is a great way to know if the information you are getting is reliable.

Several people talk about things they barely understand on the internet. While reading these posts to help you develop new ideas is OK, you shouldn’t bet your life on them.

So check the author of the text you are reading and google it. If they are self-made people, look at what they have written before or their credentials.

See if they have a website, a Twitter account, or a LinkedIn profile.  If you can’t find them on your own, a reverse name lookup like Free People Search will show you all their social media accounts and any criminal or other public records that address their character or history. All this information will become very relevant if you try to determine their credibility as a writer.

Look At Statistics

The information you need may be based on statistics, yet none are mentioned in the article you are reading. Then you should turn on your alarm.

Of course, some topics don’t need data, but articles with too many generic ideas and no tangible examples shouldn’t be considered for serious purposes.

You can also look for the data you need and see if it matches what the author is saying. If not, just ignore it and treat it as entertainment.

Evaluate The Website

Many websites offer valuable content without mentioning the author. So how can you be sure about what they say? In this scenario, you must evaluate the website and the company behind it.

Check the comment boxes and see if many people disagree with what they say. Research their reviews and verify their ratings. Look for their About page and check what their main goal is and who their team of experts is. This information will help you determine how much they know about the topic in question.

Check What They Are Selling

No online business survives for free. It costs money for the website to be relevant and reliable to the public. That is to say, you must give them some kind of financial return.

What is being said here is that you should always try to find out how the source in question is making money so you can judge the quality of the information provided. For instance, a website which makes money selling iPhones will hardly speak ill of Apple and might not even tell you all the advantages of an Android device.

So look for sources more likely to give you unbiased information about what you want, such as websites that support themselves by selling books or products unrelated to their writing.

Go To Primary Sources

You need to go for the primary sources to ensure you get the facts. Because we don’t have much time to check anything, we tend to rely on curated content and believe in what they tell us to do.

But if you are dealing with something sensitive that gets you in trouble, you should prioritise primary sources. So if you want to know more about one product, check their website and read reviews from interested people, for instance. This way, you won’t get just a fraction of information or a specific point of view from someone who only gave you an overview of several products.

Cross-Reference Multiple Sources

Reliable information can often be confirmed by comparing it across different sources. If various reputable sites or publications offer similar data, it’s a sign of credibility. Cross-referencing assures that information is not just an opinion but widely accepted or validated.

Checking Source Publication Date

Outdated information may no longer be accurate, especially in rapidly evolving fields like technology, science, and medicine. Ensure the information’s date aligns with the topic’s current relevance to avoid relying on obsolete data.

Recognising Bias and Point of View

All content has some level of perspective, whether intended or not. Identifying an article’s emotional, political, or otherwise perspective helps assess whether the information could be slanted in a specific direction, affecting its reliability.

Assessing Readability and Clarity

Reliable information is often clearly written and structured, making complex topics accessible. Jargon-filled or poorly organised content may indicate that the author lacks expertise or is attempting to obscure the message, which could suggest that it is unorganised.

Consulting User Reviews or Community Consensus

Customer reviews on reputable platforms can offer insights based on real user experiences, especially for product information. While imperfect, a positive or negative feedback trend can help verify claims made on less objective sites.

Verifying Information in an Academic Setting

In a university setting, students must verify the credibility and origin of the information they cite. This verification process is essential to uphold academic integrity and ensure that research or arguments are based on accurate and respected sources. Educational institutions typically require students to rely on peer-reviewed journals, books from reputable publishers, and authoritative websites. Professors often encourage using primary sources, such as original studies or firsthand accounts, as these offer the most direct evidence for a claim. Students are also taught to critically evaluate the author’s credentials, publication date, and potential biases, ensuring their arguments are well-founded and credible. By rigorously verifying sources, students build skills in analytical thinking and contribute to a trustworthy academic discourse.

Verifying Information in the Workplace

In the workplace, the accuracy and credibility of information are critical, mainly when it’s used to support ideas, proposals, or decisions that can impact a company’s direction. When data is leveraged to reinforce an argument, credibility ensures that the point being made is not only persuasive but also reliable. Employees are encouraged to verify information through reputable sources, such as industry reports, government data, or expert publications, and to cross-reference statistics or claims with multiple sources if possible.

Committing to accurate, evidence-based information reflects professionalism and builds trust with colleagues and stakeholders. By verifying information, employees safeguard their organisation’s reputation, make informed decisions, and contribute to a workplace culture that values transparency.

Find Reliable Information with AI

AI-driven tools, like ChatGPT and AI-enhanced search engines, are transforming how we find information. Here’s how they can assist in uncovering reliable content:

Enhanced Search Filters: AI-driven search engines offer advanced filtering options prioritising authoritative sources and more recent information. By asking a search engine AI to filter for peer-reviewed, verified, or high-authority sites, you can access credible sources that meet rigorous standards quickly.

Personalised Recommendations: AI tools can learn user preferences over time, recommending content aligned with individual needs. Personalised identification of relevant and quality information is faster, especially as AI adapts to recognise trusted sources you frequently rely on.

Real-Time Fact-Checking: AI chat models, like ChatGPT, allow you to cross-recognise on the go. When presented with an unfamiliar claim, you can ask the model to list supporting data or direct you to sources for further investigation.

Comparative Analysis with AI Summaries: AI tools can now provide concise summaries and even comparative analyses across different sources, aiding in evaluating multiple viewpoints simultaneously. This feature is valuable for complex topics requiring various perspectives to understand the full scope.

Caveats and Transparency: While AI is powerful, it should be used as a complementary tool rather than a single source of truth. AI algorithms rely on available data, which may occasionally reflect biases. Therefore, significant findings from AI sources should always be verified by checking original or primary sources, especially for critical decisions.

Using AI for research can streamline finding reliable information but should always include cross-referencing, careful evaluation of AI outputs, and a healthy dose of scepticism to ensure quality.

The Bottom Line

The suggestions above are all you need to find reliable and genuine online information. They might mean that you will need to spend some time checking what you read, but this is the price to pay in the beginning.

But once you have your favourite sources sorted out, you won’t need to do it repeatedly. So, take the time to verify what you find online and avoid any problems caused by poorly researched articles in the future.