It is undeniable that students are bombarded daily with an exorbitant amount of data. It's hitting them from all directions and it doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon. In fact, I predict the situation will only get worse. More and more data is sent to them every day. Since the Internet is a rich source of information where one can find information on everything from cartoons to x-rays, determining which information is credible and which is not is a time-consuming task. It is like synthesizing iron from the iron core, where the steps involved in the synthesis play a very critical role. So, what should a student do in this age of information overload when faced with research? How do they sift through the enormous amount of information? This article will discuss the criteria to consider when collecting evidence. There are many things any student can look for to judge a reliable source. Here are a few to mention and discuss and compare: the qualifications of the author, the currency of the information, the accuracy of the information, the writing style, is there a objective reasoning about information and finally an intuition about information. After exploring these topics in depth and highlighting the pros and cons of each category, I will let you know the answer to this question: what are the best criteria to consider when looking for credible information when writing a research paper? First, let's look at the author's qualification on the subject. This undoubtedly indicates that the information has weight and is trustworthy. Scholarly journals, government documents, scientific journals and medical content written by academics, professionals and experts in their field with...... in the middle of the article ......ke decisions, to draw conclusions and apply critical thinking while browsing information on the web. If students are still unsure, then they can seek help from reference librarians on this matter, as any information could or is likely to be disputed. Check whether the information is biased or not by checking the content of the article. Check, if the author excessively admires or rages angrily about anything or gives too many positive or negative statements, it shows a lie (Gil). While the author provides both favorable and contradictory information on the subject, he is not biased. For example, Politico.com is the most impartial and regularly updated news site; while CNN and Fox News are one of the biased sites; CNN covers Democratic news and Fox News covers Republican news (Greenwood).