Organizations' purposes

The first step in your investigation is to figure out is: What is the main purpose of this organization? What are they trying to do by posting this information? If you're not sure how to start an investigation, check out these tips -->

ORGANIZATIONS THAT JUST PROVIDE INFORMATION (need to investigate)

The main purpose of some organizations is just to provide information.

But wait, you might say, isn't the purpose of any organization that posts something on the internet to provide information?

As you'll see in the examples below, some organizations have a different main purpose--they just also happen to post information on the internet.

Find out how to investigate organizations that just provide information -->

ORGANIZATIONS WITH AREAS OF EXPERTISE (usually good for school research)

Some organizations' main purpose is to conduct research or otherwise contribute to increasing knowledge about specific topics. They often provide information about their area of expertise, but it's not their main purpose.

These are usually good information sources for school research assignments. You just need to be able to recognize organizations that have areas of expertise about your research topic.

Find out how to recognize organizations with areas of expertise -->

ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE A CAUSE OR TAKE A SIDE (need to investigate)

There are organizations (usually non-profits) whose main purpose is to promote a cause or take a side on an issue. They often provide information about their cause or issue, but it's usually coming from a particular perspective.

Find out how to investigate organizations that promote a cause or take a side on an -->

ORGANIZATIONS THAT SELL OR PROMOTE A PRODUCT OR SERVICE (NOT for school research)

There are organizations (usually businesses) whose main purpose is to sell or promote a product or service. They often provide information about issues related to their product or service.

These are NOT good information sources for a school research assignment. But it isn't always obvious that the website (or video) you've found was created by a business, so you may need to do some investigating.

Find out how to recognize organizations that sell or promote a product or service -->

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