There are several main criteria for determining whether a source is reliable or not. Example of just one fallacious quotation that can be found online. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth. All rights reserved. How can I evaluate online (and offline) sources? Sometimes, the currency of the source is very important. Most sites that use clickbait use it to simply gain clicks on their site. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? It can be very unclear (often by design!) If youre reading a fact-based source, be sure that it doesnt oversimplify the topic. Reducing the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables does not influence the consumption of these foods. Very helpful.". Validity is harder to assess, but it can be estimated by comparing the results to other relevant data or theory. As you read, try to understand the connections between the sources. If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source. Scholarly books are written with the sole purpose of informing; they offer new ideas, criticize old ones, and present new data or theories relevant to an audience of academic scholars. Evaluating the credibility of a source is an important way of sifting out misinformation and determining whether you should use it in your research. During stressful times, most people lose their appetite Evaluate sources of information by examining them for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. If youre just starting your research, you might look for sources that include more general information. Using the library websites database search engine, use the advanced search to restrict your search results to peer-reviewed sources. Opinion: The Purdue OWL is the best website for writing help. To evaluate internet sources: The last example above uses facts in a bad-faith way to take advantage of the audience's fear. Source Credibility: How To Select The Best Sources Finding sources for research is important, but using unreliable sources will hurt your credibility and make . But there are many articles published under the guise of scholarly work, by individuals claiming expertise but which are of highly questionable credibility. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Coverage (relevance): Consider whether the source is relevant to your research and whether it covers the topic adequately for your . Retrieved March 1, 2023, You should also examine whether the author has other publications and if they are with well-known publishers or organizations. Similarly, YouTube videos can either be posted by a large organization or a single user. 1) Accuracy. When evaluating academic journals or books published by university presses, its always a good rule of thumb to ensure they are peer-reviewed and published in a reputable journal. However, if you have an active .edu email account from a university where you either attend or work, you can make use of the librarys subscriptions to databases to access these journals. However, the veracity and reliability of online news sources can vary enormouslybe sure to pay careful attention to authority here. 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. It can also involve the selective reporting of true information in order to deceive an audience. Transcript Need Help? Many people have personal websites, such as blogs, that are not associated with a larger group or organization. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Name recognition is often the first thing you consider to determine reliability. Note that this does not mean that all information found in well-packaged sources is credible. In the case of an anonymous author, you can check who published the website with, Be conscious of wording that indicates judgment. Published on While almost anyone can produce a podcast, and topics range from discussing tv shows or books like The Bachelorand Harry Potter, other podcasts give in-depth information about science, history, anthropology, and a wide variety of other topics. Understanding which articles are clickbait helps you evaluate your sources for credibility. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. If you have doubts about an on-line source, you can discuss it with your instructor or TA and you can elect not to use it. Are there any oversights or weaknesses in the research? Remember that scholarly sources often have a very particular audience in mind, and popular sources are written for a more general audience. For each criterion, there are several questions to be asked. 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. These sections usually provide information about who the author is and what sort of . What are possible consequences of not evaluating sources? American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Comparative Literature Association, Learn more about our academic editing services, First-hand evidence giving you direct access to your research topic, Second-hand information that analyzes, describes, or, Sources that identify, index, or consolidate primary and secondary sources. When you verify the information in one source with information you find in another source, this is called cross-referencing or cross-checking. political)? Can it be interpreted differently? East, Adelphi, MD 20783. Anyone can write anything they want on the Internet. Similarly, Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source due to the fact that it can be edited by anyone at any time. Does it look professional to you? If you don't find your topic discussed, try searching for some synonyms in the Index. While this is a good first step, it cant tell you for sure if a source is actually relevant to your research. Google Apps. Learn what questions to ask and some strategies to apply for determining if your source is or isn't appropriate for your project. There are no glaring grammatical or orthographic errors. You can evaluate the reliability and scholarship of information you find both online and in print by using these guidelines: Authorship If the author is not identified be wary. The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased. Both National Geographicand TEDuse .com domain extension, despite the fact that theyre large organizations. Scribbr. There are several factors that contribute to a source's credibility. If you are going to use the Internet as your main source for information, beware! Using credible and relevant sources is important. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. PNAS Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 111.43 (2014): 15316-15321. Its important to understand the types of sources and how you should use them in your field of research. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Begin by reading the Introduction or the PrefaceWhat does the author want to accomplish? Sometimes simply typing an authors name into a search engine will give you an initial springboard for information. Timeliness. The credibility of an author is very important in determining the quality of sources you have located and are thinking of using for your research project. The Purdue OWL is clearly the only safe choice for student writers. Podcasts are essentially audio files that can be streamed on a computer or mobile device, like portable radio. How do you determine credibility of evidence? Finally, look at the date of publication to make sure the information is still valid. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. Possessing these skills will give you the ability to objectively and successfully critique online materials. 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. Make sure the source is written by a trustworthy author and/or institution. When was the website last updated? Remember, anyone can publish information on the Internet. Here are five ways to help you identify a reliable source: 1. Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? Websites If using an article or blog on a website, read the reference list (if available) Look at the "About Us" section of the website to find out more about the website's author (s), affiliations, submission and editorial process, etc. It benefits students and researchers who need to evaluate sources for academic purposes. The sources you use are an important component of your research. Here are five ways to help you identify a reliable source: 1. December 7, 2022. Perspective. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. Examine source in full text (PDF or original print is preferable) for errors, organization, opinions, etc. As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, you can use preliminary evaluation to determine which sources might be relevant. Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization (often abbreviated SEO) is a strategy used to increase unpaid views on a website from search engines. Be careful when ascertaining purpose. The sources you use are an important component of your research. When doing research, you will use a variety of sources such as books, newspaper articles, magazines or journals, and websites. Key points Sources come in many forms. For example, if you were to search How to change a flat tire in a search engine, you would most likely get how-to videos and pages, rather than someone selling their car on Craigslist, because the algorithm sorts the webpages based on the keywords you input. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. The reliability (source, evidence, truthfulness) of the information. The information should be up-to-date and current. Are your sources credible? Timeliness. If it hasnt been updated recently, it may not pass the CRAAP test. In fact, even Wikipedia itself encourages its users to take caution when gathering information from its site. How can you tell if a source is credible? What is the importance of material sources? If students are coming from the Beginner Lessons, they should be able to talk about different media (e.g., images, videos, books, web pages, news articles) and different types of primary sources, as well (e.g., letters, journals, maps). Because so much information is now available online, its important to know how to navigate digital sources versus print sources. If the cited source meets the other standards for credibility, read that source and cite it. When evaluating the credibility of a website, look first at the URL. If the author is affiliated with a reputable institution or organization, what are its values and goals? If you cannot find that information corroborated in scholarly sources, thats a red flag that the information is not trustworthy, and you should not include it in your argument. This position and the conclusions the author comes to should be supported by evidence from direct observation or from other sources. Teen Tech University. Non-scholarly books might deal with scholarly subject matter sociology, for example, or politics. However, if you are examining an historical event, you may want to find primary documents from the time of the event, thus requiring older sources. Not all sources are created equal - especially when it comes to advanced research. Reliability can be estimated by comparing different versions of the same measurement. Evaluating source credibility is an important information literacy skill. The former describes the acts in terms of the law (an objective source) whereas the second example judges the actions according to the author's own belief of what is a despicable act. Which of the following sources appear credible and which appear questionable: Stem Cell Basics. Can the information you found be verified elsewhere, even via a simple Google search? A credible source should pass the CRAAP testand follow these guidelines: Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Examine each information source you locate and assess sources using the following criteria: Timeliness. {"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":"