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PY 230 - Criminal Psychology: Using Websites in Research

This guide is designed to help students locate resources to successfully complete their research project on a serial killer.

The strength of the Internet - that anyone can put up anything - is both its strength and its downfall. To conduct successful research via the Internet, you have several steps you must take in order to ensure that you have the most current, credible information. This page will help you do just that.

Evaluating internet resources

When looking at a web site, ask yourself the following:

Who?

  • Is the author or organization identifiable?

  • Is there information on the author's or organization's background? (Check for an "About Us" tab on a site's homepage, or check the bottom of the page to see a site's host.)

  • Is there contact information (an email address, phone number, etc.) for the author?

What?

  • Does the site cover a specific time period or aspect of a topic, or does it cover the topic in depth?

  • Based on your knowledge of the topic, what information is included or omitted?

  • Is it done or "under construction"?

Where?

  • To what domain (.edu, .gov, .org, .mil, .com) does it belong?

  • Is it linked to other reputable sites?

When?

  • When was it mounted?

  • When was it last updated? How often is it updated? (Many websites list when they were last updated at the bottom of the page)

Why?

  • What is the site's purpose?

  • Based on your knowledge, is the information on the site factual, opinion, or propaganda?

  • Are there a lot of ads? Is the site trying to sell something?

How?

  • Is the site well organized?

  • Is the site professional looking and well designed?

  • Are the images used to enhance, rather than impress?

The importance of good sources

Think any source will do for your research project? You need good, credible sources. The video below explains why. To access this video from off campus, log in with your library-generated username and password, both of which are your last name and last four digits of your student ID number (ramone1234, for example). 

Search engines - Going beyond Google

While commercial search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! can find plenty of results, those results may not be adequate for college-level research. Try these academic search engines instead:

Evaluating Streaming Video

The following link can help teach you how to determine if a video clip is a credible source:

What's in a URL? What is a URL?

A URL (Universal Resource Locator) is the three letters that appear at the end of a web address (.com, .org). URLs can help you determine whether a website is a credible source.

  • .com - The most common URL. These can be purchased by anyone. Often used for commercial purposes (such as businesses)
  • .org - Usually associated with non-profit organizations.
  • .gov - In the U.S., this represents a government site, from local and county offices through state and federal offices. Government sites are excellent sources that are updated frequently.
  • .edu - This URL is associated with educational institutions, from colleges and universities, some museums (such as The Clark in Williamstown, Mass.) and public and private K-12 schools. These sites can have excellent information, particularly at the university level, but if the web address on a .edu site has an ntilde (~) in it, it's probably a student-built page or site.
  • .mil - This URL is associated with official websites for American military branches. These differ from military recruitment sites, which have a .com URL.