Those who use the Internet for research purposes should know that not everything they read online will necessarily be true. The Internet contains a wealth of information that may have been published for any number of reasons. Researchers must choose their sources carefully. Christopher Callahan, associate dean of the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, said via e-mail that Internet research has its disadvantages. Dr. Robert McKelvain, professor of psychology and chair of the Psychology Department said books are often more reliable than Web sites.
Web sites created by individuals often revolve around their personal interests.
Also, Web sites often rely on advertisers to stay in business. Regardless of the possibility of unreliable information on Web sites, Callahan said a researcher should evaluate the source of the information whether it comes in electronic or paper form. Complicating matters is the bulk of information available online. Researchers who rely on search engines such as Yahoo and Infoseek will often get thousands of results when they are looking for specific information. Deciphering which results will be helpful is a challenge.