Skip to Main Content

Evaluating Sources of Information

Sources should be considered for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, objectivity and purpose.

Top-Level Domain Searching

Limit the junk. Restrict your results. Here's how:
  • When searching via Google, restrict the top-level domain to .gov and .edu. Domains ending in .com are usually associated with marketing, and domains ending in .org  often advocate a single position.  
     
  • In Google, search for a top-level domain by adding, to the end of your keyword search, the term site: followed by the top-level domain.
     
  • Example: For a search of U.S. government sites on the topic of video games and their relation to children, enter the following: 


video games children site:.gov  

  • Search boxes restricted to .edu and .gov sites are included on this page; you may want to start with them.  For a more detailed way to perform a domain search, try Google Advanced Search

Combined Domain Search (.edu & .gov)

Perform a search restricted to .edu & .gov sites

 

.gov search

Perform a Google search restricted to .gov sites

 

.edu search

Perform a Google search restricted to .edu sites