GEOG 325: Conservation and Resource Management: Reliable Websites

While the library pays for many scholarly peer-reviewed article databases, there are also other free databases on the open web that can help you find quality scientific articles. If you find a citation for an article without the full text, you can request it for free through Interlibrary Loan. If you ever have a question about evaluating sources, determining what type of source you're looking at, or locating the full text of an article, contact me for more help. 

Because so much information is now available online, websites are a huge category. Be sure you are using quality websites and thoroughly evaluating your information.

• Government websites use the .gov domain
• Science websites may use .edu, but they might also use .com or .org. .com and .org are not necessarily good or bad - you'll really need to pay attention to the information quality to prove your source is A. a science website and B. a quality, credible science website
• The government agency, science organization, or educational organization should be easy to spot
• Google the organization - they should have a website, Wikipedia page, and be referenced in other sources
• Pay careful attention to the date
• Google a few things about the article or click around on the website
• Consider the length and scope. Is this a short pamphlet or a lengthier scientific article?