One of the great things about the Internet is that nearly anyone in the world can make a website about nearly anything they want.  The problem for you is when those people don't know what they're talking about or want to deceive others about what they actually know.  You cannot assume the websites you visit are current, well-researched, accurate or reliable.  You should never use a website for research without evaluating it first by checking documentation and sources for their information.  For every site you visit, ask yourself at least three things:

1. Is there an easy to identify author or organization that claims responsibility for the information?

The author should be qualified to write about the topic and they should cite the source of their information.  Always seek information from the people who are best qualified to provide it.  For example, a practicing doctor is qualified to write about medicine, but a pizza delivery driver is not.  Although Wikipedia is often a good free source for popular, current information you do not know who wrote the information or if they were qualified to write it.  Try to find other sources that verify the information in Wikipedia or other free sites before using it to settle an debate or answer a question.

2. What is the purpose of the website and are there any potential biases?

Ask yourself what the website is for.  Is the information intended to educate, entertain, sell a product, persuade the reader, or something else?  The purpose of a news parody website like the Onion is to make you laugh, not to provide you with objective, fact filled journalism.  The purpose of the official Kentucky Fried Chicken website is to persuade you to buy their meals, not to provide you with unbiased information about the health effects of fried food.  The purpose of the Encyclopedia Britannica is to make human knowledge available to you in an organized form, not to convince you to take a stance on any controversial issue.  Always consider the purpose of the website before using it for research.

3. Is the information up to date and accurate?

One of the greatest strengths of the Internet over printed sources of information is its ability to be updated rapidly and constantly.  A well maintained, frequently updated website shows a commitment to quality and detail, which is the least you should expect from a credible source of information.  Look for statements about when the website was last updated or when the information was posted.  For example, "Last Updated dd/mm/yyyy."

In addition, the information should be accurate.  This means that there should be no factual errors.  The facts given should agree with other sources, even if the interpretation of them does not.  Speculation and opinions should not be presented as fact.  The website should have no or very few typos.  Spelling and typing errors show a lack of attention to detail and quality.