Finding reliable videos
Updated May 2019
YouTube can be a great way to find information, but you need to evaluate any videos you use just like you need to evaluate any websites you find when you’re using Google. Just because something’s in a YouTube video doesn’t mean it’s correct.
Here are some techniques you can use to make sure you are using a reliable video.
Here are some techniques you can use to make sure you are using a reliable video.
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Searching for channels
Instead of searching for individual YouTube videos on a topic, you might want to find a channel dedicated to videos on a particular subject (eg. physics, modern history). You can also search for channels you know are reliable so that you know the information you are using is correct. (eg. National Geographic, NASA, BBC)
Click the filter button under the search box, then click the channel button in the TYPE menu.
Instead of searching for individual YouTube videos on a topic, you might want to find a channel dedicated to videos on a particular subject (eg. physics, modern history). You can also search for channels you know are reliable so that you know the information you are using is correct. (eg. National Geographic, NASA, BBC)
Click the filter button under the search box, then click the channel button in the TYPE menu.
When you're on a channel's homepage you can use the menu under the channel name to browse the videos or playlists in that channel, or use the magnifying glass at the end of the menu to search the videos in that channel.
To the right of the title you can see the number of subscribers a channel has (a lot of subscribers to a channel on an educational topic can be a hint that it's a trustworthy channel), and you can subscribe if you'd like new videos from that channel to appear on the homepage when you open YouTube.
To the right of the title you can see the number of subscribers a channel has (a lot of subscribers to a channel on an educational topic can be a hint that it's a trustworthy channel), and you can subscribe if you'd like new videos from that channel to appear on the homepage when you open YouTube.
Filtering search results
You can narrow down your search results with the FILTER menu as well.
The UPLOAD DATE menu lets you choose more recent videos.
The DURATION menu lets you choose whether you want a short or a long video.
Use the FEATURES menu to find a video with captions.
You can narrow down your search results with the FILTER menu as well.
The UPLOAD DATE menu lets you choose more recent videos.
The DURATION menu lets you choose whether you want a short or a long video.
Use the FEATURES menu to find a video with captions.
Clues about reliability
You can find the number of views, the channel and the age of the video under its title. These are all clues about whether a video might be reliable.
Channel- Does the channel belong to an organisation known to be trustworthy (eg. NASA)? Is the channel itself well known for having good information (eg. CrashCourse)?
Number of views- If a video has a lot of views it can mean it's trustworthy, although if it has a clickbait title it might not be. It might just have a high number of views because the title caught people's attention. If you're searching for a topic that not many people search for, especially if you're a senior student, those videos might not have many views either but that doesn't mean they're not reliable.
Age- Do you need current information? Does it matter if the video is six years old?
You should also check how long the video is. Look for the little black box in the bottom right of the video screenshot. Are you looking for a quick explanation, or do you need detailed, in-depth information? And are you going to get bored and turn the video off after five minutes? If you are, don't bother watching at all as you'll only waste your time.
You can find the number of views, the channel and the age of the video under its title. These are all clues about whether a video might be reliable.
Channel- Does the channel belong to an organisation known to be trustworthy (eg. NASA)? Is the channel itself well known for having good information (eg. CrashCourse)?
Number of views- If a video has a lot of views it can mean it's trustworthy, although if it has a clickbait title it might not be. It might just have a high number of views because the title caught people's attention. If you're searching for a topic that not many people search for, especially if you're a senior student, those videos might not have many views either but that doesn't mean they're not reliable.
Age- Do you need current information? Does it matter if the video is six years old?
You should also check how long the video is. Look for the little black box in the bottom right of the video screenshot. Are you looking for a quick explanation, or do you need detailed, in-depth information? And are you going to get bored and turn the video off after five minutes? If you are, don't bother watching at all as you'll only waste your time.
Google Video
Google Video will search for videos on YouTube as well as on other websites. You can use the options in the TOOLS menu to make your search more specific. You can also use the other advanced search techniques that we talk about elsewhere on this website.
Google Video will search for videos on YouTube as well as on other websites. You can use the options in the TOOLS menu to make your search more specific. You can also use the other advanced search techniques that we talk about elsewhere on this website.
To limit a Google Video search to only educational websites, add inurl:edu to the end of your search. Or if you want to search for videos on a particular site, add that to the end of your search. Eg. site:history.com
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