Skip to Main Content

Philosophy

Designed for philosophy students, this guide takes you through the Library’s resources to improve your research.

Web Resources

 

Check out this collection of best web resources for philosophy and learn how to evaluate a website.

Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Philosophy Reference Pages

Ethics

John Locke

Other Web Resources & Tools

How To Refine Google Searches


Read Google's Tips on how to refine searches in their search engine.

Remember!

The first result on Google is NOT always the correct answer or best result. ALWAYS verify the result by using the evaluation Guidelines below.

Evaluating Websites

As you collect and review your sources, how do you determine what is okay to use in academic papers? 

Here are 4 considerations as you assess whether or not a source is right for use in your assignments.

  • Author: Who wrote it and what are their credentials? What larger organization are they affiliated with? If I google them, what do I find? Is this article in their area of expertise? Can you contact the author or organization?
  • Bias: Can you identify an angle/slant/bias in the article or on an affiliated web site? What is the purpose of the study or content—to prove something to a particular group? Can you corroborate the claims with at least two other sources?
  • Content: Is the source accurate? Are there basic mistakes in grammar, dead links, or spelling? When was it published, posted, or last updated? Does it contain claims that contradict things you know to be true or even other claims within the article itself?
  • Support: Does the content have citations or sources? Can you verify the sources? Do the sources' arguments support the claimes of the item you're reviewing?