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Authority
- Who is the author / publisher / source / sponsor?
- What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
- Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
- Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
- Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? e.g. .com, .edu, .gov, .org, .net
URLs in Brief
.ca
- usually indicates a Canadian not-for-profit, government department (.gc.ca) or university/college (.queensu.ca)
.com
- domain name originally used for commercial organizations, now it is the standard for 'general use'
.edu
- a U.S.-affiliated university. (Pre-2001, .edu could be used by non-U.S., non-educational institutions)
.gov
- a U.S. government agency or department
.org
- originally for organizations, it is used for non-profits e.g. www.cancer.org (American Cancer Society); non-commercial entities
.int
- an international organization, office or program endorsed by a treaty between two or more nations
.info
