Unlike mainstream newspapers, such as the New York Times or Washington Post, and unlike broadcast news organizations, like ABC or NBC, where there are procedures in place to source and confirm all news reported, there is no such procedure on the Internet. Anyone can say anything they want about any topic they choose, and it is up to you to be a savvy user of the information you find. You need to confirm your findings with other non-Internet sources if it is critical that the information you are seeking is accurate and correct. Users of the web can follow the guidelines listed below to measure the reliability of the information they find. As with any printed source, ask yourself who created the webpage or wrote the information contained on the page.
All websites have publishers.
Many webpages are created in conjunction with reputable institutions. Look for the name of the organization, graphics on the page that indicate the institution, and official addresses. In general, information found on sites supported and created by established institutions will be as reliable as their print publications. Sometimes the publisher is the author who is either paying for space on a server or is using a free server supported by advertising. While many of these sites are interesting and can be filled with reliable information, you are safe to consider these sites in the same manner you would consider self-published books.