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. Disciplines such as information technology, 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.

Here are some tips to help you locate a date and determine whether the information is current enough.

• Web authors usually list a last updated date in the header or footer.
  If no date is listed on the page, you can use your browser to look at the date the page was created and last updated.
  Netscape - Use the View menu to look at the Page Info
  Internet Explorer - Use the File menu to look at the Properties
  Javascript - You can type the following into the address bar of a browser window while you are viewing a page to find the last date that the page was updated or modified. This works with most browsers.
  javascript:alert(document.lastModified)

• Print items often have a publication date on the inside cover or title page. Print Journals often also have a date on the front cover.

• 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 LRD or the databases to see if there is more recent information.