Consider Each Source's Credibility
Ask these questions:
Contributor/Author
· Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
· Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
· Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
Publisher
· What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
· Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
· Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
Bias
· Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
· Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
· Are there ads?
Currency
· When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
· Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
· Does the source even have a date?
Reproduced
· Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
· If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
Citations
· Is there a bibliography or are there citations/links to related credible sources?
· Conversely, are there credible sites or sources that refer/link to this content? In what context?
Relevance
· Is the content relevant to your thesis statement?
· Is the tone (academic, casual, etc.) appropriate for your project?
Accuracy
· Is the data verifiable and accurate?
· Are there spelling or grammatical errors? If online, are any of the links dead?
Complete
· Is the source comprehensive?
Credible
· Based on previous criteria, decide whether the source is credible overall.
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