When conducting research on the open web (for example, through Google and not restricted to library databases), be sure to pay attention to who is providing the information. The organization behind a website may have an agenda that isn't immediately clear to you, the reader. This can be particularly true when looking into certain topics, like religion and politics. Is the organization providing the information biased? What incentives might the organization have for skewing the information on the site or only presenting one side of an issue? Sites that have the ending .com may be more likely to be biased than others when researching medical topics, for example. Sites that end in .edu may be more likely to present multiple sides of an issue, and provide context for discussing the issue, because they are managed by educational organizations. Keep in mind what agenda may be behind an given website or the organization providing the information.
The two websites listed here may serve as a very brief introduction to your topic. It may be best to start your research by searching the library's databases, books, and other resources. Those resources have gone through a more thorough screening process to make sure that the information is accurate and of good quality.
If you have difficulty determining whether you can trust the information on a site, please ask a librarian or your instructor for guidance.
The sites below are examples of real-world organizations addressing ethical issues.
