If you reach a website through a search engine, you may have to find the site’s homepage or search around in the “contact” information in order to identify the author or the organization that sponsors the site. If the site creator’s name is listed, it’s still sometimes hard to tell whether the information has been reprinted from some other source. On many websites, it’s difficult to determine the author of the material.
As discussed in the section Why Cite?, the essence of academic scholarship is a conversation among authors. In the context of writing in college, material from much of the Internet is less reliable than print sources because it’s hard to tell who wrote or posted it. Often these are things we wouldn’t print, sign, and mail, because those extra steps give us time to consider our words more carefully, and also because we recognize a higher expectation that things in print should be trustworthy. Most of us have had the experience of sending by email something we wrote quickly-perhaps when rushed or angry. The seeming anonymity of the Internet also encourages some people to write things quickly, without checking to be sure of their facts or their conclusions. For one thing, print publishing is more expensive, so many print publishers are careful not to make mistakes or to cut corners, in case what they publish turns out to be unreliable-and therefore useless. Since it’s easier, Web posters are not always as careful to make sure that the information is accurate. It’s much easier to publish information on the Internet than to publish a book or periodical in print. Although such restrictions may be excessive, there are reasons to be wary. Some professors will discourage you from using sources you find or access over the Internet. Special Demands of Internet Sources Internet vs. Forums, Listservs, Chats, & Bulletin Boards.
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