How2 Validate Websites

When performing Internet research, it is vital to be able to validate a website's true intent. One can easily do this by using a few simple tricks such as checking who owns the website, or the web domain, and cross referencing that ownership information against other records.

To begin, go to the website you intend to validate. Then follow the steps below one-by-one, and you'll know the true intent fairly soon. If you run into trouble, or complications, keep working at it.

Oftentimes, especially when dealing with younger researchers, sites that are located at the top of the results returned in Google or another search engine, are the ones most frequently visited, at least as a starting point.

In our example, we will use a web page dedicated to Martin Luther King. As we'll find out, it's a poor website to use for research. Click on the link above (it will open a new window) and let's begin validating.

Copy the web address from the browser bar. Use either Ctrl + C, or go to Edit --> Copy from the file menu. Do not include the http://, nor the backslash at the end of the URL. It should look like this:
- ```
www.martinlutherking.org
```
Open a new window, or tab, and go to the following address. If you click on the link, it will open a new window for you.
- ```
http://easywhois.com/
```
Now, since you have already copied the web address above, in step 1, paste it into the open form field, where it says "Enter Domain". Use either Ctrl + V to paste, or Edit --> Paste from the file menu. Then click on the button that is labeled "Next".
Then, when you get the results, which look something like the below, it's easy to see who really owns the site.
Now, all you have to do, is lookup Stormfront Inc in any search engine, and find out what they're all about, which in this case seems to be a front for a white supremacist group promoting hate, white survival, and pro-white activism.
Click here to search for yourself. See if the results are the same.

To learn more about cross linking, and how to find out who's linking to what sites, visit the How2 Tutorial section. Cross-linking is another great resource when it comes to validating websites. Be sure to check it out!