Online Research: Evaluating Example Websites

This site is a fairly obvious joke - octopi are sea animals and do not live in trees (in the Pacific Northwest or elsewhere).  However, if the subject were the (not real) endangered Pacific Northwest Pine Owl, would you be able to tell the site was a fake?

SIFT Method:

• STOP - go to Google.com
• INVESTIGATE the Source - A Google search for the name of this site brings up the site itself as well as several student research pages on the topic - but also several resources (including Wikipedia, a Pennsylvania police department, and the US Library of Congress) claiming this is an internet hoax.
• FIND Other Coverage - There does not appear to be any websites describing the tree octopus as a real species.
• TRACE Claims to Original Context - most of the sources from this site link back to the author's blog, and many of the others lead to .net, .org, or .com websites written in the same tone as this.

Conclusion - this is NOT a valid website to use in scholarly research!

This website looks very professional and polished, and much like other professional health organizations. There don't appear to be any obvious typos and it is updated regularly. However, what can we discover about it when we leave the website and do an internet search?

SIFT Method:

• STOP - go to Google.com.
• INVESTIGATE the Source - A Google search for this site reveals information from a variety of sources (such as Wikipedia, GLAAD, and WIRED) stating that the American College of Physicians is socially conservative, and/or an anti-LGBTQ group - and is designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
• FIND Other Coverage - An alternative organization from the search is the American Academy of Pediatrics. A Google search of this organization doesn't reveal anything unusual.
• TRACE Claims to Original Context - One statement on the website is as follows:  “[Gender/transition affirming health care] is neither proven effective nor safe long term, does not reduce suicides, and is not the standard of care for gender dysphoria.” However, a search in PubMed reveals research studies published in medical and psychology journals that find that gender-affirming care does decrease chances of depression and suicide in patients.
   

Conclusion - this source is biased toward one point of view.