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Medical Sciences

Mae'r dudalen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg

Evaluating websites

Finding information on the internet is easy, but finding good quality and reliable information is trickier than you think.  Take a look at our tips in this section on how to get the most out of searching online. Before you use any web resource in your assignment ask yourself “Is the web page as good as information you would find in a book or academic journal?”

Webpages can be set up by anyone, therefore before referencing a site check that the information is reliable and accurate.
Check:

  • Who wrote the information? Do they have relevant qualifications? Have they written other material on the subject? Do they have a bias?
  • When was the information published? Is it current enough for your needs?
  • Why was the page put on the web? Is it selling or promoting something? Is it biased?

Look for the clues in the URL

  • .com – a commercial company
  • .co.uk – a commercial UK company​​
  • .edu – a US academic institution
  • .ac.uk – a UK academic institution
  • .org – a non-profit organisation
  • .gov or .gov.uk – a US or UK government site

Are you struggling to find what you need on Google?

Here are some tips to improve your results!

Still not finding enough academic resources in Google?

Try using Google Scholar which searches scholarly literature. You can link Google Scholar to Swansea University's subscriptions, full instructions can be found in the guide below.

Useful websites