Importance of Websites

What information do i need to know when choosing a website?

After my lecture today, i have learnt that it is important to understand what websites i am using and for what purpose. If i intend to use a website to help guide my research in my academic work then the following points will help me determine whether the website is valid.

• Checking adverts - academic websites have adverts that are related to the specific topic of the website. For example part of my task was teaching the class on synchronised swimming. The website i used had adverts that were linked to swimming.

• Website extensions indicate the reliability of a website, extensions such as ".ac.uk" ".gov" are considered reliable as gov is identified as a government based website and ac.uk is recognised with a variety of universities. Additionally .org can be reliable in some circumstances however research to check the extent of its reliability is needed such as being partnered with recognised organisations.

• Personal websites can be very unreliable sources, this is due to the fact that in many circumstances the author of the website can not be found in any academic sources. 

• If the website is updated regularly will indicate sufficient and up to date information. 

• Purpose and use of intended website - this is an important factor when deciding on a website to use. If the intended use is for academic purposes then research and background information about a website and the author is needed to understand if the information provided is relevant and trusted. For an academic purpose it is advised that Wikipedia is avoided due to the fact that information can be changed by anyone and anywhere, which can question the truthfulness of information. However,  if the website chosen is intended to be used for leisure or gaining a small idea of a chosen area then websites such as Wikipedia may then come in use. 

By following these tips i can identify what websites are useful to me for different purposes.