diff --git a/parsedmarc/__init__.py b/parsedmarc/__init__.py
index c93d23c..71cd737 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/__init__.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/__init__.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def _parse_report_record(record, ip_db_path=None, offline=False,
     else:
         auth_results = new_record["auth_results"].copy()
 
-    if type(auth_results["dkim"]) != list:
+    if not isinstance(auth_results["dkim"], list):
         auth_results["dkim"] = [auth_results["dkim"]]
     for result in auth_results["dkim"]:
         if "domain" in result and result["domain"] is not None:
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def _parse_report_record(record, ip_db_path=None, offline=False,
                 new_result["result"] = "none"
             new_record["auth_results"]["dkim"].append(new_result)
 
-    if type(auth_results["spf"]) != list:
+    if not isinstance(auth_results["spf"], list):
         auth_results["spf"] = [auth_results["spf"]]
     for result in auth_results["spf"]:
         new_result = OrderedDict([("domain", result["domain"])])
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def parse_aggregate_report_xml(xml, ip_db_path=None, offline=False,
         new_report_metadata["begin_date"] = date_range["begin"]
         new_report_metadata["end_date"] = date_range["end"]
         if "error" in report["report_metadata"]:
-            if type(report["report_metadata"]["error"]) != list:
+            if not isinstance(report["report_metadata"]["error"], list):
                 errors = [report["report_metadata"]["error"]]
             else:
                 errors = report["report_metadata"]["error"]
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ def parse_report_email(input_, offline=False, ip_db_path=None,
     for part in msg.walk():
         content_type = part.get_content_type()
         payload = part.get_payload()
-        if type(payload) != list:
+        if not isinstance(payload, list):
             payload = [payload]
         payload = payload[0].__str__()
         if content_type == "message/feedback-report":
diff --git a/parsedmarc/elastic.py b/parsedmarc/elastic.py
index bfc2925..5e0652c 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/elastic.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/elastic.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def set_hosts(hosts, use_ssl=False, ssl_cert_path=None,
         password (str): The password to use for authentication
         timeout (float): Timeout in seconds
     """
-    if type(hosts) != list:
+    if not isinstance(hosts, list):
         hosts = [hosts]
     conn_params = {
         "hosts": hosts,
diff --git a/parsedmarc/kafkaclient.py b/parsedmarc/kafkaclient.py
index 11a913b..02bf833 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/kafkaclient.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/kafkaclient.py
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ class KafkaClient(object):
             aggregate_topic (str): The name of the Kafka topic
 
         """
-        if (type(aggregate_reports) == dict or
-           type(aggregate_reports) == OrderedDict):
+        if (isinstance(aggregate_reports, dict) or
+           isinstance(aggregate_reports, OrderedDict)):
             aggregate_reports = [aggregate_reports]
 
         if len(aggregate_reports) < 1:
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class KafkaClient(object):
             forensic_topic (str): The name of the Kafka topic
 
         """
-        if type(forensic_reports) == dict:
+        if isinstance(forensic_reports, dict):
             forensic_reports = [forensic_reports]
 
         if len(forensic_reports) < 1:
diff --git a/parsedmarc/splunk.py b/parsedmarc/splunk.py
index 0d11966..3628523 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/splunk.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/splunk.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class HECClient(object):
 
         """
         logger.debug("Saving aggregate reports to Splunk")
-        if type(aggregate_reports) == dict:
+        if isinstance(aggregate_reports, dict):
             aggregate_reports = [aggregate_reports]
 
         if len(aggregate_reports) < 1:
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class HECClient(object):
                 to save in Splunk
         """
         logger.debug("Saving forensic reports to Splunk")
-        if type(forensic_reports) == dict:
+        if isinstance(forensic_reports, dict):
             forensic_reports = [forensic_reports]
 
         if len(forensic_reports) < 1:
diff --git a/parsedmarc/utils.py b/parsedmarc/utils.py
index f973a37..e272848 100644
--- a/parsedmarc/utils.py
+++ b/parsedmarc/utils.py
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ def is_outlook_msg(content):
     Returns:
         bool: A flag that indicates if the file is an Outlook MSG file
     """
-    return type(content) == bytes and content.startswith(
+    return isinstance(content, bytes) and content.startswith(
         b"\xD0\xCF\x11\xE0\xA1\xB1\x1A\xE1")
 
 
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ def parse_email(data, strip_attachment_payloads=False):
         dict: Parsed email data
     """
 
-    if type(data) == bytes:
+    if isinstance(data, bytes):
         if is_outlook_msg(data):
             data = convert_outlook_msg(data)
         data = data.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")