Trusted Sources

Which are trusted sources?

Computers have allowed us to access a huge amount of information very quickly and easily. The main problem now is separating which of that information can be trusted and which cannot. In particular the internet has been a very problematic tool when it comes to research and information gathering. Although there is a sea of information available, much of it is impossible to gauge and judge due to the fact that it cannot be proven as fact.

Caution is advised

Wikipedia has quickly become one of the most visited websites on the internet due to its huge collection of articles and the fact that it is a free service. What stops the site from becoming a highly regarded educational tool however is that articles can be written and amended by any member of the public. It is all well and good going on the internet to find out about something like laser hair removal but unless you know it is a trusted source you can not be sure what you are reading is entirely accurate.

This means that much of the information on the site cannot justifiably be taken as fact because it is impossible to link statements with resources that prove a remark or quote is true. Many students still use the site due to its in depth and multiple articles, but scholars and teachers frown upon the sites easily manipulated structure.

Step in the right direction…

A better tool is the GCSE Bitesize website (an education tool for teenagers in high school) as the information on it is written by people who know exactly what they are discussing. Once an article has been uploaded onto the site it, unlike Wikipedia, it cannot be amended or tampered with. Therefore everything on the website can be used as a research and educational tool as there is no chance that the information is false.

The internet has opened up many doors when it comes to obtaining information and researching hard to find articles, but due to its design there is always the chance that what you are reading was written by someone who is not an expert on the subject. Educational websites like GCSE Bitesize and newspaper organisation sites are one of few places which you can research without this worry.