Internet is challenging traditional publishing practices, but scholars still are inclined to publish their best work in reputable, traditional journals or through scholarly presses rather than in the freely available mixed company of the web. Try our own list of recommended sources or the Argus Clearinghouse or the World Wide Web Virtual Library as a starting point for resource guides. Thinking about what organizations or government agencies might have put information on the web might help narrow the search. Think about the best terms to use in a search, and choose a method of searching that matches your need. For example, Webcrawler covers a smaller number of web sites than Alta Vista, so it would be more useful for a fairly broad topic, and Alta Vista would be the better choice if your topic was very obscure.
Every source needs to be examined critically, but Internet sources are especially hard to assess.
Try to find out who put it together-a government agency, a professor at Berkeley, or a high school student with strong opinions. Try to figure out why it was put together, and whether there are biases or points of view implied in that purpose. Try to figure out whether the information presented is accurate or authoritative. There are two good web sites available that explain how to cite Internet sources using MLA style or APA style. The Academic Computing Center offers classes on various computer applications, and they can answer specific questions about Internet applications on the help line.