Evaluation of a source's credibility is a complex process that requires critical thinking and reading. 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. Sometimes, the currency of the source is very important. They are usually part of a series or follow a theme. Do they agree or disagree with other scholars? How can I tell which sources are relevant to my research? Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. While a scientific study showed that Wikipedia is as accurate as professionally generated encyclopedias. The ability to navigate and evaluate digital resources is essential to both educators and students. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? For a source to be considered credible it must meet five main obligations: Currency, Relevance . PDF. To ensure you include only valid information in your research, evaluate your sources using the criteria below. Peer-reviewed articles are not only written by experts, but are also read and evaluated by a panel of peers other experts in the field. This means that the sources you reference need to be credible and authoritative. You can commit academic dishonesty with the best of intentions, such as helping a friend cheat on a paper. 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. 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? It is an important component of information literacy. Its important to understand the types of sources and how you should use them in your field of research. The source should be relevant to your research. My source cites or links to other sources that appear relevant and trustworthy. How can I evaluate online (and offline) sources? This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. 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. 3 Ways to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source - wikiHow Thinking Skills Critical Thinking How to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source Download Article methods Source Evaluation Help 1 Evaluating Sources for Academic Projects 2 Evaluating Sources for Everyday Life Other Sections Questions & Answers Video Related Articles References Article Summary Search engine optimization (often abbreviated SEO) is a strategy used to increase unpaid views on a website from search engines. Use information from a textbook only for the background information necessary to build the foundation for your more innovative argument. These will entice the reader by stating that the reader probably cannotanswer each question correctly. Purdue OWL is a registered trademark. Where does the author work? 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. 208 Hamilton Hall, Mail Code 28051130 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027, Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram, 510 Mudd Hall, Mail Code 4714500 W. 120th St.New York, NY 10027, 2023 Columbia University | Privacy | Terms of Use | Accessibility | Notice of Non-Discrimination |University Home Page, Remember, your use of sources is a means of supporting the argument you make. Question everything, books, articles, and websites can all be unreliable sources. By using an algorithm, SEO works by locating keywords and sorting information for relevancy and accuracy. PsycINFO. It can be very unclear (often by design!) How you evaluate the relevance of a source will depend on your topic, and on where you are in the research process. Because anyone can produce a podcast, be aware that biased podcasts exist, and some might be used as propaganda. I have checked that it is supported by evidence and/or verifiable elsewhere. You should have a clear idea of your own research question or topic and . It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you draw. While this is a good first step, it cant tell you for sure if a source is actually relevant to your research. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Is the source twenty years out of date? Relevance. 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. This is especially important when youre surveying a large number of sources (e.g., in a literature review or systematic review). Last Updated: December 13, 2022 When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth, Increase the quality of the information you consume. When doing research, you will use a variety of sources such as books, newspaper articles, magazines or journals, and websites. Remember that scholarly sources often have a very particular audience in mind, and popular sources are written for a more general audience. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. For example, if you were interested in examining how scientists use Twitter as a platform, you might find yourself quoting a tweet by Bill Nye or the physicist Brian Cox. Revised on Government-affiliated websites end in .gov. Why is it important to evaluate an online source before citing it? However, the deeper you get into your topic, the more comprehensive your research will need to be. The originating source (author, publisher, sponsor) of the information. 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. (2022, December 07). When examining online news articles, find out what you can about the organization behind the articles. There are a lot of sources out there, and it can be hard to tell what's credible and what isn't at first glance. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 849,783 times. Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review. Its possible to find many news articles online, both from digital newspapers and websites that post news articles. "Reputation And Impact In Academic Careers." For example, podcasts like Stuff You Missed in History Classand Historium Unearthiaprovide information on often-overlooked historical events. What sources you use depend on the kind of research you are conducting. In the case of an anonymous author, you can check who published the website with, Be conscious of wording that indicates judgment. The more familiar you become with your topic, the easier it will be for you to evaluate the evidence in your sources. Currency: Timeliness of the information and whether it is up-to-date and relevant to the topic at hand. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. The date something was published can greatly affect the information given. Scribbr. Are they an innovator, or a follower and promoter of the status quo? The OER Commons is a public digital library that is curated by librarians, and a solid place to start. A credibility checklist is a place to start, but it's engagement with the source that counts. The information should be up to date and current. It states: Users should be aware that not all articles are of encyclopedic quality from the start. Of course, there is no such link. However, if you find information that you find useful, that information may be cited in a more reputable footnote. After you identify the person or organization, you can find out more about them and determine their credibility. Evaluating Sources for Credibility - YouTube 0:00 / 3:14 Evaluating Sources for Credibility libncsu 4.88K subscribers Subscribe 1.9K Share Save 739K views 7 years ago What does it mean for a. Students are able to identify how a credible source could be used for a particular need. Like most sources, you should try to find out information about the author and cross-check the information in the podcast to see if you can find it elsewhere. Google Apps. You should also examine whether the author has other publications and if they are with well-known publishers or organizations. Published on Evaluating the Credibility of Your Sources Remember, your use of sources is a means of supporting the argument you make. California State University developed it in 2004 to help students remember best practices for evaluating content. How do you evaluate the credibility of a source? CRAAP test One of the best ways to evaluate source credibility is the CRAAP test. 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. There are a few criteria to look at right away when assessing a source. How do you evaluate credibility sources? If so, it's really important to find reliable sources to reference! Scholarly books will provide an extensive list of references to bolster their academic credibility, whereas non-scholarly books often make claims without any credible referential support. George, T. 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. Possible consequences include misinformation of yourself and others by trusting the claims of a source that might not be reliable, and damage to your own writing reputation. 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. For example, some websites are known for being more left-wing or right-wing. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. These will give you a clear idea of the authors intentions, the parameters of the research, and even the conclusions they draw. Is the intended audience a scholarly one? If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source. They are written to inform, not entertain, and assume a high level of previous knowledge because they are written specifically to people who have a vested professional interest in technical information relevant to their specialization. However, some scholarly sources may be too dense for your particular research needs, so you may need to turn to sources with a more general audience in mind. If a bibliographic citation seems promising, it's a good idea to spend a bit more time with the source before you determine its credibility. "Informative, critical and genuine. Every source should contribute to the debate about its topic by taking a clear position. If youre just starting your research, you might look for sources that include more general information. Different news outlets may have different agendas attached to their reporting. Citation Styles & ToolsQuick MLA, APA, and Chicago style guides for bibliographies; tools for storing and organizing sources. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Often, the most reliable information you will find on the internet will come from online databases. 2. Coverage (relevance): Consider whether the source is relevant to your research and whether it covers the topic adequately for your . 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. Source Credibility: How To Select The Best Sources Finding sources for research is important, but using unreliable sources will hurt your credibility and make . Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Finding the authors educational background and areas of expertise will help determine whether the author has experience in what theyre writing about. While faculty at a university are reputable, this information does not go through the peer-review process discussed earlier. Evaluating a source's credibility Evaluating the credibility of a source is an important way of sifting out misinformation and determining whether you should use it in your research. If a source has a list of references, it often means that the source is well-researched and thorough. You can also read abstracts, prefaces, introductions, and conclusions. Are you writing a research paper? Some information becomes dated when new research is available, but other older sources of information can still be useful and reliable fifty or a hundred years later. Use Wikipedia as a starting point that points you toward better sources. Discuss the information you find with your health care provider before you rely on it. Remember, anyone can publish information on the Internet. Teen Tech University. December 7, 2022. For example, if you are researching cutting-edge scientific technology, a source from 10 years ago will not be sufficiently current. Ryan, E. What is the importance of material sources? My source is relevant to my research topic. For example, if you are researching about a time-sensitive topic such as a current event, then it's important to find sources that have been published recently. For example, Hoosier State Chronicles is a database that only houses Indiana newspapers, while JSTOR is a database that holds a wider variety of journals and books. 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