The tabs on the top left of this page will help you find energy data and analysis from a variety of sources, including Government Resources, Colleges/Universities, International Organizations, Industries, News Sources, and Utilities. Also available here are tabs on Oil Production Economics, Fracking, Social Entrepreneurship, and Business Knowledge.
Finding the best internet resources to support your research involves more than finding good content. There are several other factors you must also consider to make sure a resource is reliable and appropriate for your needs.
1. Purpose & Audience
Purpose and Audience are concerned with matching people with the right information for them. Most writing is initially aimed at a particular audience or has a purpose. The purpose, bias or audience need not be stated, but inferred by the reader. Ask yourself:
It is a good idea to consider these questions when evaulating a resources for purpose and audience. Just because a website is aimed at consumers, doesn't mean it can't be used as a source in a research paper. You just need to consider that fact when deciding what appropriate role, if any, it can play in your research.
How can I find out?
Determine whether the Web site is produced by an organization and if so, the purpose or mission of that organization. You can usually determine by careful reading if the purpose is to sell a product or promote a particular point of view.
2. Authority
Authority is concerned with how knowledgeable an author is on the particular subject he or she is writing about. Some questions to ask to determine whether your source is authoritative are:
Look at the source to see if it tells you anything about the author's credentials. Much of this information should be listed or a contact number supplied.
Many Internet sources do not give the identity or credentials of the author or producer. These Web sites may have questionable reliability.
3. Documentation
Documentation is concerned with how traceable a source's information is. Can you find the origin of the facts presented in your source? Ask yourself:
In many publications, adequate documentation is not provided. The popular press rarely provides complete references where one could find further information. Internet sites may be even more guilty of this. If your source has no listed sources of its own, it may be a sign that the information is made up or incorrect.
4. Timeliness
Timelines is concerned with how current a source is. Ask yourself:
An older site may no longer be maintained and contain dated information and bad links. In areas such as medicine, science, business, and technology, currency of information is important. In fields such as history and literature, currency may not be critical.
5. Review Process
Scholarly publications, even those published on the Web, are typically peer reviewed. Experts in the area first determine the credibility of the findings or writing before it can be published. The process is rigorous. Most popular publications are not peer reviewed.
Many Internet sources are not reviewed before being posted; however, most government, educational, and organizational sites have some sort of review process. If no review process is stated or evident, assume there is none. Journals, both online and print, almost always state their review process.
6. Suitability
Suitability is concerned with being the right information for your needs. To determine whether a source is suitable, ask yourself:
Read the source. Does the information have a place within your topic and organizational outline? Assess the topic and the audience that it is aimed at to make sure the purpose and audience are appropriate.
