Q&A for How to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source

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Why is it important to evaluate an online source before citing it?

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You need to make sure the source is accurate and credible. Anyone can write anything they want on the Internet. 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.

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What are possible consequences of not evaluating sources?

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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.

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Question

What are the top three things that indicate that my source is credible?

Community Answer

First, what are the qualifications of the author? Are they an expert or are they less experienced with the topic? Secondly, you should think about bias. Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. political)? Third, how current is the source? This is especially important for science. The date something was published can greatly affect the information given.

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What should the author list in their bio to improve the credibility of a site?

Community Answer

Credentials, such as education, professional experience, professional affiliations, and other publications they have written for.

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Question

What are the consequences of not evaluating sources?

Community Answer

You can end up presenting inaccurate information. You risk getting it wrong. In turn this damages your own credibility.

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What are some indications that a source is unreliable?

Community Answer

I would say that the biggest indicator of an unreliable source is bias or an agenda. It would be a good idea to check the mission statement of the website the source comes from. If it says that they want to encourage something over something else, or anything similar; chances are, the source only shows facts that are in favor of what they want.

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