Anyone can put anything on a Web site. It might be the absolute truth, or it could be a pack of lies. Here are some simple steps that will help you determine if this is a valid Web site or if it is a bogus site.

1. Use what you already know about an URL. Is it a government site (.gov), an educational institutional site (.edu), a business (.com), a non-profit (.org) or something else? If there is a tilde (~) or if the word "users" appears in the Web address, then it is a personal Web site and may contain biased information.

2. Check the authority of the Web page. Who is sponsoring the page? Remember you can go to http://www.registar.com/whois.shtml to find out who owns the Web site. Is there a name, phone number, address and e-mail that can be used to contact the Web site owner? Is it clear who wrote the information on the site? Is there a copyright?

3. Is the information accurate? Where did the author get his or her information? Is the page grammatically correct? Is the information easy to read? Can you find other Web sites to confirm the information you found on this Web site? Can you find similar information in print resources?

4. Determine the purpose of the Web site? Is the Web stie trying to tell you something? Does it want you to endorse it points of view? Why did the authors take the time to write this Web site? What do they want from you?

5. Is the content current? When was the last time the Web site was updated?

Check these sites to verify spoofs, hoaxes, urban legends or myths you may have read about:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
http://www.vmyths.com/
http://www.snopes.com/
Information from Duke University on the evaluation of web pages.
http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/evalwebpages.html