When writing a scientific paper, look for the most credible sources. Science doesn’t show bias, but we humans tend to show bias. There are sites and articles that provide facts without proper scientific evidence. Avoid using information from such sites. You must be able to identify reliable sites so the data in your paper is credible.

Use sources that end in .gov (government sites), such as OSTI.gov. They are reliable sources. You can also use sites ending in .edu. They can be deemed trustworthy, but sometimes the information is written by students rather than scientists. Always find out who the author of the article is before proceeding. Some .org and .com sites are credible, but you need to analyze the contents to verify their authenticity. As you review a source, always try to answer these questions:

Who authored the document?
Is this person a scientist or an engineer?
What is the purpose of the document?
Does the document state facts that can be proven by evidence?
Does the document contain opinions?
When was the document written?
Do other credible sources support the statements in this document?