The same can happen in the "real world" especially with third-party sources or aggregate sources of information. Aggregate websites utilize automated web scraping to collect and present information from a variety of online sources, but since they are neither service providers nor service recipients, the information they collect and present may be incorrect or out-of-date. Common aggregator sites include schooldigger.com, manta.com, yelp.com, niche.com, and hometownlocator.com. These websites might seem like an easy and efficient way to verify data however, because they are not directly maintained by service providers, we do not recommend using them when researching structures.
What is an authoritative source?
An authoritative source is a website or publication that has been created directly by an entity or service provider (e.g., an official hospital website), by service recipients (e.g., Find a Grave), or by regulators governing an entity’s operations (e.g., an official school district website). Essentially primary sources, authoritative sources come in many forms including official websites, meeting minutes on an organization's official letterhead, school handbooks, or even a Facebook page directly maintained by a business.
How do I know if a source is authoritative?
Because authoritative sources come in many forms, it can sometimes be difficult determining whether or not they can be trusted.
To help make this determination, you can ask yourself this question:
Who compiled, published, and maintains this information?
For example, if you are researching an elementary school, the ideal source from which to obtain information such as school name and address is the official elementary school website. That website is maintained for and by that specific school so we can trust that the information they’ve published is correct and up to date. The school district website would also be an authoritative source of information for a specific school, as would a state’s education department website, and the National Center for Education Statistics website. Something to remember is that even though each of those additional sources is considered authoritative (they are run by established organizations) they are still a step or more removed from the elementary school and may contain information that is not as current or as correct. Just like telephone, the fewer hands the information passes through, the better. Pulling information from an authoritative source is important because we want to make sure any points plotted on The National Map represent organizations that are open and available for business.
While acquiring information directly through an internet search seems like another quick and efficient way to research a structure, we do not recommend taking any information directly from Google™ or Google Maps™ (or any other browser or commercial mapping service). General browser search results might bring up information that is incorrect or out of date, and address information displayed on Google Maps is often interpolated if an exact address for a structure is unknown. Information displayed on Google Maps is also protected by copyright. Such searches can be great jumping off points for further research in your quest to identify an authoritative source but should not be solely relied upon.
