Library Home page | Library Catalog
Skip to Main Content

Finding Primary Sources: Websites

A guide to finding primary source accounts of United States history at the Valley Cottage Library.

Evaluating Websites

To determining if the information you find on a website is reliable enough for your research, ask the "5 W's."

Who

Who created the website?

Can you find the author's, or creating institution's, name on the website?

What

What is the purpose of the website?

Is the author trying to sell something?

Does the author have a particular bias or agenda?

Where

Where did the information come from?

Are there links to original sources?

Are there citations?

When

When was the website created?

When was it last updated?

Why

Why should I use this website?

Why should I get my information here rather than somewhere else?

Websites

Reliable, librarian-approved websites for finding primary sources.