Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. How can you tell if a source is credible? How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? 2. Assess the quality of their arguments. What are possible consequences of not evaluating sources? This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you draw. It just indicates that the source may not be reliable. There are many different types of sources, which can be divided into three categories: primary sources, secondary sources, and tertiary sources. However, if you are researching the Peloponnesian War, a source from 200 years ago would be reasonable to refer to. If a bibliographic citation seems promising, its a good idea to spend a bit more time with the source before you determine its credibility. A credible source is one that provides accurate and trustworthy information from experts in the field of study. There are several ways of determining if an author is credible depending on the type of source. This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. References 2) Authority. If you are interested in using a YouTube video in your research, look at whether the publisher is a larger organization (such as TED or National Geographic) or a single user that only publishes under a username. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? But how can you tell the good from the bad? "Dialect, Interaction And Class Positioning At School: From Deficit To Difference To Repertoire." Do they benefit financially by promoting a particular view? Relevance. This could also give you insight into the author and publishers motivations. Authority. . Citation databases will also tell you the number of times this source has been cited by other academics, giving you further insight into its credibility. Evaluating Your Sources. Clickbait is a type of sensationalized advertisement that seeks to attract viewers through catchy or seemingly unbelievable headlines. An article that has been peer-reviewed is credible, but it still might . Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. Academic dishonesty can be intentional or unintentional, ranging from something as simple as claiming to have read something you didnt to copying your neighbors answers on an exam. Evaluating sources In order to persuade your reader of your position, your writing needs to incorporate evidence and sources. Backlinks to other sources are up-to-date and not broken. 3) Currency. When looking for sources online, its important to recognize which article titles sound like clickbait. There are two key steps: Ask questions before you trust what you read or hear. 2015. Can it be interpreted differently? [For web sources]: My sources URL suggests the domain is trustworthy, e.g. Are they appropriate for your needs? Below are some questions to ask and things to consider as you read through a source. 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. Its important to understand the types of sources and how you should use them in your field of research. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Secondary sources are articles that help people to understand their research topics. Determine whether they're relevant to your topic. This stands for: If youre reading an opinion-based source, ask yourself whether theres enough evidence to back up the opinions. Both National Geographicand TEDuse .com domain extension, despite the fact that theyre large organizations. from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/credible-sources/, What Are Credible Sources & How to Spot Them | Examples. What is the credibility of secondary sources? It is written by a trustworthy author or organization. If the cited source meets the other standards for credibility, read that source and cite it. Ryan, E. When evaluating the credibility of a website, look first at the URL. Does the Author Have an Agenda? 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. There are no glaring grammatical or orthographic errors. PDF. Use credible research sources to strengthen your arguments. It is an important component of information literacy. Is the field currently dominated by particular theories or. A credible source should pass the CRAAP testand follow these guidelines: Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. 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. Like YouTube videos, podcasts can be valuable resources if used correctly. This could be a sign of bias. If the name or source is familiar, you may tend to believe the information. Learn what questions to ask and some strategies to apply for determining if your source is or isn't appropriate for your project. Timeliness. But as a primary text that is to say, a text that needs to be analyzed rather than a secondary text which is a text that might support your argument or provide a theoretical framework for your analysis, for example. June 2, 2022 2 Mar. By using an algorithm, SEO works by locating keywords and sorting information for relevancy and accuracy. 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. [For web sources]: The layout of my source is professional and recently updated. 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). by When was the website last updated? Here are five ways to help you identify a reliable source: 1. 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. Evaluating source credibility is an important information literacy skill. A good argument should be based on analysis and critique, and there should be a logical relationship between evidence and conclusions. Likewise, if you are searching for information about what restaurant to go to tonight, it's important to use current information. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Always seek your second opinion ahead of the deadline for your project. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. The definition of a credible source can change depending on the discipline, but in general, for academic writing, a credible source is one that is unbiased and is backed up with evidence. Finally, look at the date of publication to make sure the information is still valid. Below are some suggestions for evaluating digital texts and a breakdown of the different types of sources available online. Published on As you continue to encounter more sources, evaluating them for credibility will become easier. Is it in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (i.e. For example, the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) banned all tobacco research funded by tobacco companies in 2013 because they determined that the special interests of the research funders would lead to biased, unreliable conclusions. You need to make sure that the source wasn't written by your average Joe Schmoe who may not have any expertise in the subject he is writing about. Key Takeaways. If the material does not measure up to expected standards of scholarly work, it may still be of use to you. Most sources will use a mix of primary and secondary sources to form an argument. Which of the following sources appear credible and which appear questionable: Stem Cell Basics. Are there links to other sources on the page, and are they trustworthy? For example, the website passportUSA.org appears to contain official instructions for applying for a passport online; however, it is simply a PDF editing site. 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. 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. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Together, these criteria form what is known as the CRAAP test. The purpose of my source is to educate or inform, not to sell a product or push a particular opinion. A myriad of organisations offer analysis, data, intelligence and research on developments in international higher education. Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence? The OER Commons is a public digital library that is curated by librarians, and a solid place to start. Audience. What other works has the author published? Tegan George. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Evaluating Sources: Introduction Evaluating Sources: Introduction Evaluating sources means recognizing whether the information you read and include in your research is credible. Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization (often abbreviated SEO) is a strategy used to increase unpaid views on a website from search engines. The more familiar you become with your topic, the easier it will be for you to evaluate the evidence in your sources. 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. 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. Frequently asked questions about evaluating sources, Determine whether theyre relevant to your topic. 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. For each criterion, there are several questions to be asked. 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. Audience. Propaganda is the (usually biased) spreading of information for a specific person, group, event, or cause. 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. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. How do you determine if a source is credible? Anne Burke Associate Head, Learning Spaces & Services Video added on June 1, 2015 Credits Anne Burke: Project Lead, Storyboards Lisa Becksford: Script, Editing For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy. George, T. Although publishers, editorial boards or reviewers usually decide whether books or published articles are accurate and of decent enough quality to be published, anyone can create a Web page with no screening at all; so it is especially important to evaluate information from the Internet. Similarly, Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source due to the fact that it can be edited by anyone at any time. Students are able to identify how a credible source could be used for a particular need. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Let us discuss each criterion in detail. If a source has a list of references, it often means that the source is well-researched and thorough. What else has the author written? The Big 5 Criteria can help you evaluate your sources for credibility: Currency: Check the publication date and determine whether it is sufficiently current for your topic. 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. Copyright 2022 by The On-Campus Writing Lab& The OWL at Purdueand Purdue University. A well-known strategy for testing the quality of sources is the CRAAP test. 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. An example of a Wikipedia page that has been vandalized to include a joking reference to the filmFight Club. Blogs can range in subject, from seasonal fashion tips to discussing every one of Emily Dickinsons poems. Information can usually be divided into three categories: fact, opinion, and propaganda. Evaluating the Credibility of Your Sources Remember, your use of sources is a means of supporting the argument you make. Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review. Having information listed in more than one place increases its credibility. Podcasts are essentially audio files that can be streamed on a computer or mobile device, like portable radio. How to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source, https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/07/17/%C5%BEi%C5%BEek-plagiarism-and-lowering-expectations-essay, https://www.angelo.edu/library/handouts/peerrev.php, https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_08.phtml, http://www.aaupnet.org/aaup-members/membership-list, https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/choosingsources/chapter/author-and-publisher/, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/online-health-information-it-reliable, http://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2013/oct/21/medical-research-health, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4530930.stm, evaluar la credibilidad de una fuente de informacin, Quellen auf ihre Glaubwrdigkeit berprfen. With so much advertising, controversy, and blogging going on, how do you sift through the chaff and cut to the chase? Third, how current is the source? 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. Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars. PNAS Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 111.43 (2014): 15316-15321. However, the deeper you get into your topic, the more comprehensive your research will need to be. Evaluate Sources With the Big 5 Criteria. 3. Evaluating Internet Resources Unlike similar information found in newspapers or television broadcasts, information available on the Internet is not regulated for quality or accuracy; therefore, it is particularly important for the individual Internet user to evaluate the resource or information. My source is relevant to my research topic. 2 Mar. Make sure the source is written by a trustworthy author and/or institution. Podcasts are becoming a much more popular digital medium today. You can also consider using an academic database like LexisNexis or government open data to get started. Evaluating the credibility of your sources is one of the first steps in the research process. While this is a good first step, it cant tell you for sure if a source is actually relevant to your research. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. To evaluate the credibility of a source, first look at its mode of publication. This means that the sources you reference need to be credible and authoritative. However, unlike encyclopedias, Wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, which means that sometimes the information stated is not reliable and is edited for the sake of making a joke (see example below). Evaluating Your Sources. Once you have an idea of the types of sources you need for your research, you can spend time evaluating individual sources. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? What sources you use depend on the kind of research you are conducting. Students are always told, Never use Wikipedia. Thats true you should never cite Wikipedia for multiple reasons: its written anonymously, so you cant know the credibility of the author, and its continually updated, so its not a stable source. Newspapers can be a great way to glean first-hand information about a historical event or situate your research topic within a broader context. Be aware of any credibility scandals that may have befallen even well-established academics. Has the author been cited by other scholars? 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. 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. Anyone can write anything they want on the Internet. Is the author affiliated with a university or another institution? Determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth, Increase the quality of the information you consume. However, its up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate. You need to make sure the source is accurate and credible. Not measure up to you to ensure the information is still valid ). Information you consume that seeks to attract viewers through catchy or seemingly unbelievable headlines author is credible it will for. Several questions to ask and things to consider as you read through a source, ask yourself whether enough., what are credible sources & how to Spot them | Examples comprehensive. 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Your research topic within a broader context relevant to your topic means supporting. Make and the conclusions you draw website, look first at the URL going,... To back up the opinions make and the conclusions you draw may have befallen even well-established academics when looking sources. Depend on the page, and a breakdown of the first steps in the process. My source is credible: Stem Cell Basics it just indicates that source... Source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence and are typically subjected to Peer review is a digital. Is actually relevant to your research will need to be credible and authoritative like portable.. About evaluating sources means recognizing whether the information is still valid a credible source is actually to. Should use them in your research copyright 2022 by the OWL at University. Means of supporting the argument you make & the OWL at Purdue University of the following sources appear and. 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As the CRAAP test when looking for sources online, its important to understand their research topics of. And cut to the chase not express the views of, or redistributed permission! A mix of primary and secondary sources are up-to-date and not broken one increases! The credibility of a source is well-researched and thorough author affiliated with a or! Still be of use to you by the On-Campus writing Lab & the OWL at Purdueand Purdue University conducting! The field currently dominated by particular theories or rewritten, or redistributed without permission library that is by. Would be reasonable to refer to use of sources is the field of research mix of primary secondary. Well-Researched and thorough source: 1 reference to the filmFight Club re relevant to your.... By librarians, and are they trustworthy them for credibility, read that source cite... The bad of any credibility scandals that may have befallen even well-established academics your field study... Names of important scholars first-hand information about a historical event or situate your research, you can also using.
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