Having trouble finding reliable sources of news and information?
This video will help you critically evaluate sources using these five criteria: authority,
accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity.
Since anyone can publish information online, it’s important to know whether or not a
source is authoritative.
To be an authority on a subject, an author must be accepted as an expert by professionals
in his or her field.
For example, an article in an academic journal is likely to be more authoritative than a
personal blog post.
Determine the accuracy of a source by researching the author’s credentials, affiliations,
and other published works.
For sources found online, this type of information is displayed on the About Us page.
Accurate sources rely on the objective interpretation of evidence.
Scientific reports, for example, often include a methodology section that describes the research
process to validate the author’s conclusions.
These types of sources typically are peer reviewed, meaning their content has been reviewed
by experts on the topic.
Beware of sources that put out misinformation or unverifiable claims.
If you can’t verify who said what or how the data were obtained, the source may not
be accurate.
Investigating a source’s references will help you assess its accuracy.
If you find the same facts and figures in other sources, the information most likely
is accurate.
Currency is determined by the date the source was created.
Depending on your subject, a source’s currency may determine its usefulness.
In the science and technology disciplines especially, advances are made at a rapid pace,
which means past results quickly become dated or discredited.
But new isn’t always better.
Sometimes older sources may be required to better understand current advances on a given
subject.
While web sources like blogs record when a page was last updated, it doesn’t mean that
all of the information is up to date.
Outdated information may rebranded or mixed in with new materials.
Verifying the currency of the research or statistics will help you determine if the
findings are reliable.
The value of a source depends on its relevance to your research question.
First consider how much the resource covers.
For background information, try an overview article or encyclopedia entry.
For more in-depth information, you’ll want to consult sources that discuss your specific
research topic.
Closely analyzing what a resource does or doesn’t discuss will help you choose sources
that align with your research need.
Objectivity relates to a resource’s purpose and point of view.
When a source is objective, it means the creator uses evidence rather than personal opinion
to reach logical conclusions.
Biased sources, on the other hand, may present evidence in a way that supports predetermined
conclusions.
Other sources even may intentionally distort the facts to poke fun at a person or event.
Measure a source’s objectivity by investigating its publisher.
You may discover economic or political factors that influenced the creator’s interpretation
of evidence.
Keep in mind that an abundance of advertisements on a web page may mean that the information
is financially backed by a third party.
As you can see, there are many factors that define a high quality source.
By using the criteria discussed in this video, you’ll be well on your way to finding reliable
sources.