When you do legal research, you want to be sure the information you get comes from reliable and trustworthy sources. You want to be sure the information is accurate and up to date. Here are some things to consider when it comes to the reliability of online sources and searching for legal information
- Is the site Canadian and is the legal information relevant to your needs? For example, is it information on Canadian law or Nova Scotia law? Remember laws differ from country to country and often differ from province to province.
- Who is providing the material? Who owns the website? Is it a government department or institutional website such as a court, university, library or hospital? Is it produced by a reputable nonprofit? Is the website trying to sell you information or services?
- Does the site give the date when the information was last updated? Does the site provide a mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address?
- Does the site look professional? For example, are there lots of spelling mistakes? Are there broken links?
- Are you linking to the site from a site that you trust? Did you learn about the site from someone you trust?
- Does the site have a clear privacy policy?