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A Special Note on World Wide Web/Internet
Sources
The wealth of information available on the Internet can prove to be
invaluable to researchers. However, it is important to keep in mind that much of
this information is not regulated. Moreover, some sources are posted as
marketing tools; for example, a company's annual report might be geared toward
potential customers and thus might modify or exclude significant facts and/or
figures.
The author of a fascinating quote that you find on a web site may not be
an expert in the subject. Take care to evaluate the credentials of these writers:
search for an author's name in the database most commonly used in your
discipline or in the directory of a professional organization. Check to see
whether or not an author has listed his or her other publications on the web site,
and then investigate the truth of these claims. Most importantly, don't take what
you read on the Internet at face value. Identity manipulation occurs frequently
on the 'Net, and quoting a twelve year-old's ruminations on Nietzsche in your
research paper will not strengthen your argument.
The Writing Center: A Note on World Wide Web/Internet Sources