When deciding whether to use information from a website, whether it be a .com, .edu, or anything else, you must critically evaluate that information for authenticity and relevance.
Who is it by?- Who is the author of the information? Is it a corporation or business? Is it a researcher in the field? Is it a layperson? Finding out who is posting the information is critical to deciding whether or not the author is an authority on the subject.
Who is it for?- Who is the intended audience? Is the information intended for children, general readers, shoppers, etc?
When?- How old is the information you are looking at? Do you need information that is relatively recent or is older information okay?
How much?- How extensive is the information presented? Is the topic covered in-depth, or is it just a sub-topic of more general coverage. How does the topic coverage compare to other websites on the same topic? Are there links to more information? Do the links go to other parts of the website or do they go to outside websites?
Why?- Why is the author posting this information? There are several possible reasons, including to: