How can I be sure the website I've found has accurate info? Is it fake news?
Answer
It is easy to go down a rabbit hole of misinformation when using the internet. Be a fact checker! There are different ways to do that, but first consider getting off the page that you are looking at. Use Wikipedia and other resources to get additional information about the website you are on to determine validity. Look for circular references, check out the people listed on the site to help ascertain whether a resource is a good resource for research.
Many sites can be used for fact checking. Two that the Ritz Library recommends are: Snopes and ProCon.org.
The Smarter Internet Searching research guide has invaluable information on how to make better use of Google to find sources for your topic and tips on evaluating websites. Our Fake News research guide helps you discern what is legitimate information and what is not. Graphics free version
Additionally, this video from ProQuest Research Companion is a short tutorial on evaluating web resources.