Reflection Journal Entry #1: Credible vs. Non-Credible Sites

When asked whether a site is credible or non-credible many different ideas pop up into my head. I initially check to see if the site is organized and professionally done. However, even if the site doesn't look completely professional but the content looks alright I check to see if the site has a publisher (name, contact information, company, etc.) that can be looked up. If there are no sources for me to look up and to check for validity then I usually do not use the website. If there is a publisher I then look at the copyright date to make sure the information is pretty recent and not from fifty or more years ago. After I check for and approve the validity and source of the website I then proceed to reading the first line or two of the page (if there is content) or I look for something on the site that will give me information to check and see if the grammar and spelling are correct. Lastly, I check to see if the site have any links to references or sources for the information shown on the site. If the links are referencing other sources that I know are scholarly, I know that the site can be trusted. However, when sites with facts don't have links to references but are published by a professional organization specializing on the topic of the website I can trust the information.