There are four key aspects to keep in mind when trying to identify if a source is credible:
- Credibility
- Are the authors names provided?
- Do the authors have credentials? Are they relevant to the information given?
- Accuracy
- Are there spelling or grammatical errors?
- Are there references, citations, or related sources of information?
- Are there footnotes?
- Are the publisher’a information provided? Who are they?
- Is the publisher an academic institution, scholarly or professional organization?
- Relevance
- Why is the information provided?
- Who is the intended audience of this source?
- Is the language guided towards with knowledge of specific discipline or general public?
- Currency
- Is the date of publication evident?
- How long ago was it published?
- Is the source up to date?
Keep in mind that a source does not have to hit every single question in this guide. Ultimately, it will come down to your best judgement based on the information provided.
