how do you evaluate the credibility of a source

You will likely use a combination of the three types over the course of your research process. Below are some questions to consider once you've found a primary source (s): RUSA's Guide to Evaluating Primary Sources : Who is the author or creator? Do you recognize the source? For example, companies that are owned by Google will most likely appear first when searching for something on Google. The test focuses on five key aspects that can indicate the quality of a source and includes questions to ask of a source to evaluate its quality. 2. When examining online news articles, find out what you can about the organization behind the articles. This is not necessarily bad, but it will depend on who published it, why it was published, and how you intend to use the material. There are no glaring grammatical or orthographic errors. If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the Cite this Scribbr article button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator. In general, check for vague terms, buzzwords, or writing that is too emotive or subjective. The last example above uses facts in a bad-faith way to take advantage of the audience's fear. While faculty at a university are reputable, this information does not go through the peer-review process discussed earlier. Below are some questions to ask and things to consider as you read through a source. My source is relevant to my research topic. Evaluating Primary Sources It is important to examine primary sources with a critical eye since they represent unfiltered records of the past. To effectively evaluate online materials, you must be able to do proper speed reading and skimming of content, as well as citing references. 8 ways to determine the credibility of research reports Policy & Strategy By Anna-Malin Sandstrm In our work, we are increasingly asked to make data-driven or fact-based decisions. The ability to navigate and evaluate digital resources is essential to both educators and students. If the author is affiliated with a reputable institution or organization, what are its values and goals? Begin your in-depth evaluation with any landmark studies in your field of research, or with sources that youre sure are related to your research topic. By the 1980s and 90s, the majority of linguists had come to embrace African American Vernacular English as a distinct dialectical variation of American English with its own patterned grammatical structures and diction. This position and the conclusions the author comes to should be supported by evidence from direct observation or from other sources. I have checked that it is supported by evidence and/or verifiable elsewhere. As you dig deeper into your scholarly research, books and academic journals are usually your best bet. First, what are the qualifications of the author? In the case of an anonymous author, you can check who published the website with, Be conscious of wording that indicates judgment. A private individual does not have the credibility needed for academic work; however, a large, established organization like the American Medical Association or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do. An opinion-based source is not necessarily unreliable, but its important to know whether the author recognizes that their opinion is not the only opinion. To evaluate a source, ask yourself a series of questions that address Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (aka CRAAP questions!). Both of these individuals have blue checks next to their Twitter handles, which means the accounts are verified. This allows you to: A credible source should pass the CRAAP testand follow these guidelines: The CRAAP test is an acronym to help you evaluate the credibility of a source you are considering using. This article has been viewed 849,783 times. It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you draw. If a source does not pass the above guidelines, it does not mean that the information contained within is false. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. You may have found good information, but your provider can tell you whether it's good for you. Evaluating Sources Read More Diane Shepelwich 3395 26 Criteria for Evaluating Sources What other works has the author published? Rather than taking these figures at face value, you decide to determine the accuracy of the sources claims by cross-checking them with official statistics such as census reports and figures compiled by the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Immigration Statistics. Always seek your second opinion ahead of the deadline for your project. If at all possible, look for that same information from a peer-reviewed source, rather than a professors personal .edu source. Your resources need to be recent enough for your topic. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Are your sources credible? In this case, the lie is that there is a link between the websites students visit for writing help and their later susceptibility to criminal lifstyles. Because anyone can produce a podcast, be aware that biased podcasts exist, and some might be used as propaganda. A panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether a submission should be accepted for publication based on a set of criteria. Examine source in full text (PDF or original print is preferable) for errors, organization, opinions, etc. Is there an About Us page, or a way to contact the author or organization if you need clarification on a claim they have made? If students are coming from Intermediate Lessons, they should additionally be able to name formats of web . Templates for well-designed websites are inexpensive and easily available. [For web sources]: My sources URL suggests the domain is trustworthy, e.g. There are two key steps: Ask questions before you trust what you read or hear. The OER Commons is a public digital library that is curated by librarians, and a solid place to start. Preliminary evaluation helps you to pick out relevant sources in your search, while in-depth evaluation allows you to understand how theyre related. Note also that the difference between an opinion and propaganda is that propaganda usually has a specific agenda attachedthat is, the information in the propaganda is being spread for a certain reason or to accomplish a certain goal. Research 101: Credibility is contextual Students recognize that credibility may vary by context and information need. For this reason, academic journals are often considered among the most credible sources you can use in a research project provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well-regarded. How do you know that your sources are of value? My source is recent enough to contain up-to-date information on my topic. Determine whether they're relevant to your topic. Let's discuss in detail how these skills can help you in evaluating content. Make sure the source is written by a trustworthy author and/or institution. Does it look professional to you? what a sources motive is. Students understand the importance of critically assessing a source's credibility. Once you have an idea of the types of sources you need for your research, you can spend time evaluating individual sources. Its possible to find many news articles online, both from digital newspapers and websites that post news articles. It states: Users should be aware that not all articles are of encyclopedic quality from the start. Anne Burke Associate Head, Learning Spaces & Services Video added on June 1, 2015 Credits Anne Burke: Project Lead, Storyboards Lisa Becksford: Script, Editing What are possible consequences of not evaluating sources? Timeliness. We are constantly surrounded by information, and it is not always easy to know which sources to trust. One of the first steps in evaluating a source is to locate more information about the author. They are usually part of a series or follow a theme. Evaluating InformationLearn how to choose the best and most reliable information that meets your research needs. Authority. For a source to be considered credible it must meet five main obligations: Currency, Relevance . Be careful when ascertaining purpose. However, it can be a good starting point for general information and finding other sources. When looking for sources online, its important to recognize which article titles sound like clickbait. Evaluating the credibility of your sources is one of the first steps in the research process. Indeed, many articles start out by giving oneperhaps not particularly evenhandedview of the subject, and it is after a long process of discussion, debate, and argument that they gradually take on aconsensusform. If you are going to use the Internet as your main source for information, beware! It benefits students and researchers who need to evaluate sources for academic purposes. But there are many articles published under the guise of scholarly work, by individuals claiming expertise but which are of highly questionable credibility. Lateral reading is the act of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it to other sources. August 26, 2021 Is the source related to your research topic? % of people told us that this article helped them. Has this author been cited as a source by other scholars or experts in the field? There are a few criteria to look at right away when assessing a source. The information should be up to date and current. Here are five ways to help you identify a reliable source: 1. How do you determine if a source is credible? Students are able to identify how a credible source could be used for a particular need. Teen Tech University. Of course, there is no such link. There are six (6) criteria that should be applied when evaluating any Web site: authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, coverage, and appearance. Sometimes simply typing an authors name into a search engine will give you an initial springboard for information. While not all large organizations produce unbiased information, more well-known organizations will most likely provide more credible information. If you don't find your topic discussed, try searching for some synonyms in the Index. You should evaluate the credibility of the information by yourself. Scholarly books are often published by university presses (Amherst College Press) and professional associations (American Historical Association), whereas non-scholarly articles are published by commercial publishers (Houghton Mifflin). The information should be up-to-date and current. A high number of Cited By results can often be a measurement of credibility. Evaluating Sources: Introduction Evaluating Sources: Introduction Evaluating sources means recognizing whether the information you read and include in your research is credible. If you have never heard of the source, you probably should do some research to learn about it. Today, almost every print source has a digital edition (e.g., ebooks, online newspapers), and some academic journals only publish digitally. It is an important component of information literacy. Do they confirm or challenge established knowledge? However, the strategies used for books, articles and websites can also be used for other types . Below are some suggestions for evaluating digital texts and a breakdown of the different types of sources available online. Propaganda: Some students have gone on to lives of crime after using sites that compete with the Purdue OWL. However, they are written to entertain a lay audience, not to inform a scholarly audience. If credentials are not listed, that does not mean that the author has no expertise, but it does make it hard for you to evaluate whether he/she/they do and that means the sources may not be appropriate for college level research. Popular sources like magazines and news articles are typically written by journalists. However, if you find information that you find useful, that information may be cited in a more reputable footnote. There is a way to contact the author or publisher of my source. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. Enjoy! Propaganda often relies on slogans or emotionally-charged images to influence an audience. What about the news? If the material does not measure up to expected standards of scholarly work, it may still be of use to you. What are the top three things that indicate that my source is credible? In academia, these types of arguments are sometimes more valued than those based on the writings of famous thinkers because they suggest you have the ability to question accepted thinking and push the boundaries of the discipline. The domain extension can help you understand what type of website youre dealing with. To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself: Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid368290-v4-728px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"