Are .gov sites scholarly?

Government documents and government websites are generally considered authoritative, credible sources of information. Many are scholarly, and some are even peer-reviewed! But, not all gov docs are scholarly or peer-reviewed. Government agencies produce a wide range of publications, for different purposes.

Is a .gov website credible?

Generally, . edu and . gov websites are credible, but beware of sites that use these suffixes in an attempt to mislead. Nonprofit websites may also contain reliable information, but take some time to consider the organization's purpose and agenda to determine if it could be biased.

Are websites considered scholarly sources?

Scholarly sources can be either primary or secondary research. They can also come in many different formats. Books, articles, and websites can all be scholarly.

Does .org count as a scholarly source?

Generally, however, . org sites are nonprofit entities with a specific mission. Nonprofit entities with a . org domain might lead you to scholarly sources if they cite studies with a list of authors.

Can you use a government website as a source?

As the official guide to government information and services, USA.gov can be an authoritative source for your research paper.

Searching for .gov Sources

Are .gov websites official?

The . gov means it's official.

Federal government websites always use a . gov or . mil domain.

Do you have to cite .gov websites?

Generally, it is not necessary to cite a website in a reference entry in APA style. According to the APA guidelines, one can simply add the URL of the website as an in-text citation, e.g.: The website USA gov (https://www.usa.gov/) claims to be an online guide to government information and services.

What is not considered a scholarly source?

Non-scholarly sources: Might be written by a professional writer who is not an expert in the field. Don't always name the authors. Are written about events, and political, moral, or ethnic opinions.

What isn't a scholarly source?

Newspapers are not scholarly sources, but some would not properly be termed popular, either. Every source must be questioned for its stake in the material. The New York Post is notoriously inflammatory, for instance, and also seems to love television shows broadcast on the Fox network (owned by the same company).

What qualifies as a scholarly source?

The term scholarly typically means that the source has been “peer-reviewed,” which is a lengthy editing and review process performed by scholars in the field to check for quality and validity. To determine if your source has been peer-reviewed, you can investigate the journal in which the article was published.

Why are government websites credible sources?

They may be more trustworthy from an informational standpoint from a normal users because you cannot buy a . gov domain unless you are a government organization. That's why the information on those websites tend to be more reliable, because they're held accountable by the public.

Is Google a scholarly source?

"Google" should never be cited as a source. Rather, Google is a search engine designed to help find materials that are available on the internet. In general, Google should not be used to find academic sources, as most websites and documents are not of an academic nature.

Is .gov or .edu more reliable?

Just because a web site has an educational domain (. edu) it does not make it more credible than a .com or a . gov. Using lateral reading techniques introduced in our workshop can help you determine if a website is credible.

Is gov or org more reliable?

gov websites actually are reliable (or in relative terms more reliable than sites on any other top-level domain).

How do you know when a source is credible?

What are not credible sources?

Blogs, facebook posts, or other self-authored sites. Research articles without citations. Materials published over 15 years ago or have theories that are out of date. Individual or business websites.

What is a credible non academic source?

Non-Academic articles can be found in periodicals similar to Time, Newsweek or Rolling Stone. As a general rule religious texts and newspapers are not considered academic sources. Do not use Wikipedia for an academic source.

How do you cite a .gov source?

Treat a government document as a book, report, or brochure. If a person is named on the title page, use her or him as author. If no person is named, use the government agency, department, or branch as a group author. Give the name of the group author exactly as it appears on the title page.

Do .gov websites have authors?

Government Documents often have a group/corporate author listed instead of a specific person's name. The author may be the name of a department, commitee or agency. When the government department, agency or committee that created the document is also the publisher, omit the publisher name.

Who runs .gov websites?

USA.gov is the official website of the U.S. government. The bilingual, interagency site is managed by USAGov, a program within the U.S. General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services.

Why use .gov domain?

Official Status: A . gov domain is specifically reserved for government entities in the United States. By using a . gov domain, a government organization can unequivocally establish its official status, signaling to the public that it is a legitimate and authorized government agency.

Why is .gov and .edu reliable?

edu or . gov originate from accredited postsecondary educational institutions or US government offices. As such, they are usually more credible than .com or . cc websites that may have a commercial focus.

Is .org good for research?

org sites carefully. Many people assume . org means "reliable for research" - but they aren't necessarily! Many are biased toward a specific agenda they're pushing.

Is YouTube considered a scholarly source?

YouTube isn't a source. YouTube is a library. Each video is it's own sourrce independent of YouTube. Whether or not any video found on YouTube can be used as a credible source to cite in a paper for school must be based upon whoever the author of the video might be credible.