Web Resources - Water Filtration Engineering - Westfall - LibGuides at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bonafide or Bogus?

Ensuring the legitimacy of web resources is critical to successful research. Follow these tips to determine a site's trusthworthiness:

1. Determine the author of the site. Look for an "About" section with information on the site's parent organization; if there is no "About," carefully examine the homepage, paying particular attention to the bottom margin for any names or clues. If a provided name (whether of an individual, organization, or institution) is unfamiliar, take the extra minute to Google the name and see what you can find!

2. Pay attention to tone and content: is the information provided fact, opinion, or propaganda?

3. For site content presented as fact, does the author provide sources/references for verification?

4. Check for timeliness. When was the site last update? Are links live and current?

5. Always ask yourself, "Why should I believe this site?"

Government Organizations

United States Environmental Protection Agency
An in-depth, searchable government website providing information on environmental regulations in the U.S.
Center for Disease Control
This subset of the Department of Health and Human Services generates, collects, and publishes information deemed critical to building and protecting the health of communities.
European Environment Agency
As an arm of the EU, this agency (and its site) collates information on environmental issues and legislation throughout Europe .
United Nations
News, documents, and legislation compiled with the aim to "provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations."

Other Organizations

Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology
This link takes you to the BioSand Filter page. Be sure to check out the "Publications and Materials" link on the left; this will then provide a box called "Research and Technical Updates" with a special Peer-reviewed research" subfield-- invaluable!

CAWST, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, is a non-profit organization that provides training and consulting to organizations that work directly with populations in developing countries who lack access to clean water and basic sanitation. (From CAWST website.)
Engineering for Change
This links to the site's information on Slow-Sand Filtration, but there is equally interesting information in the page's left column, namely links to "Related Solutions."

E4C is a dynamic and growing community of engineers, technologists, social scientists, NGOs, local governments and community advocates whose mission is to improve quality of life in communities around the world by facilitating the development of affordable, locally appropriate and sustainable solutions to the most pressing humanitarian challenges. (From E4C website.)
Engineers Without Borders
This link leads to a list of water supply projects currently underway through Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Click on any project title to learn more (some contain additional information in the form of a downloadable pdf).

EWB-USA supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects, while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders. (From website.)
Practical Action
Practical Action is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that uses technology to challenge poverty in developing countries.

We find out what people are doing and help them to do it better. Through technology we enable poor communities to build on their skills and knowledge to produce sustainable and practical solutions - transforming their lives forever and protecting the world around them. (From website.)

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Water Filtration Engineering - Westfall: Web Resources

Bonafide or Bogus?

Government Organizations

Other Organizations

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