Search the Web
Run a quick Google search on your research topic.
Evaluating Web Sites
How can you tell if a web site is trustworthy or not? It's not always easy, but there are things that you can look for that will help you decide.
- Who is the author? Are they qualified to talk about this subject?
- How accurate is the information? You may need to compare what you find with another source to answer this question.
- Who is the audience? This can influence how much detail is included.
- What point of view is being represented? All sites have a bias, but is it obvious or are they trying to hide something?
- How up to date is the site? Older information may no longer be accurate.
- How comprehensive is the page? Some pages may leave out critical information.
Selected Business and Nonprofit Resources
Photo Credit: Ken Teegardin via Flickr
These sites provide reliable information that you may find useful for your projects. Some may require free registration in order to use them.
- Charity NavigatorOffers independent evaluations of more than 9,000 charities in the United States.
- Ethics Codes CollectionA repository of over 2500 ethics codes and guidelines from over 1500 organizations. "An invaluable resource for anyone wanting to understand how professionals seek to maintain and achieve morally responsible work."
- Federal Trade CommissionThe official website of the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. agency devoted to ensuring fair business practices and protecting consumers.
- Free Management LibraryThousands of links to free online resources organized in to six main topics (Improve Yourself, Work with Others, Work with Groups, Lead and Manage in Your Organization, Improve Your Organization, Consult to Solve Problems in Organizations) and many sub-topics.
- GrantCraftResources and tools for building effective grantmaking.
- Point K Learning CenterSearchable resources on Advocacy Evaluation, Capacity Building and Program Evaluation.
- IssueLabDatabase of reports and issues briefs from hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the United States.
- National Center for Charitable StatisticsExcellent source for data on the nonprofit sector in the United States.