The accuracy of your source may be affected by the date it was published. Some ideas once believed to be true were later disproved by new discoveries. Fields such as medicine or law might require more time-sensitive information than fields like philosophy or history.

The currency of a Web page can be important as well. Information that changes frequently such as stock quotes and news events should be found on pages that are updated regularly. Some sites may not be updated, such as personal pages or government reports, either because they contain information that doesn't change or due to poor site maintenance.

To locate a date and determine whether the information is current enough:

• Web authors usually list a last updated date in the header or footer. Print items often have a publication date on the inside cover or title page.
  
  

• If the author uses facts or statistics from another source, make sure they are properly cited with the date. You may want to confirm this information in the original source.

• Check the library catalog or a periodical database to see if there is more recent information.