When writing a research paper, look for credible sources. Science doesn’t show bias, but humans do. Avoid sites and articles that provide facts without citing proper scientific evidence. You must be able to identify reliable sites so that the data in your research paper is credible. Use sources that end in .gov. These government sites are reliable sources. You can also use sites ending in .edu. They’re generally trustworthy, but sometimes students, rather than scientists, write content for .edu websites. Always identify the source’s author. Some .org and .com sites are credible, but it’s important to verify their authenticity. When reviewing a source, ask these questions:

Who is the author?
Is this person an expert on the subject?
What is the document’s purpose?
Does the document state facts that scientists can prove with evidence?
Are there opinions in the document?
How old is the document?
Do other credible sources support the statements in the document?
Search for credible websites and note the information they contain. Write down three sources that you’ll use for your research paper, and cite them using Modern Language Association (MLA) (citation methods) link