To evaluate the credibility of your source, ask the following questions:
Does the source provide information that you need? Is it RELEVANT?
What does the URL ADDRESS reveal?
.edu = educational institution
.org = organization usually non-profit
.gov = government
.net = network
.com = commerce/commercial
Is the author an EXPERT or did the author cite experts?
Does the author have the RELEVANT EDUCATION or EXPERIENCE to speak on the subject.
Does the author provide his/her own RESEARCH or a list of sources, a reference page, or Bibliography?
What is the author's PURPOSE or AGENDA?
To educate, entertain, sell, antagonize, etc.
What BIAS or TONE does the author display? Does he/she present multiple viewpoints fairly and equally? Does s/he ridicule opposing views? Sarcasm, satire, mocking tones?
Can you distinguish FACT from OPINION?
Is the publication and work PEER-REVIEWED?
Is the source a PRIMARY, first hand source, or a SECONDARY, not first-hand source? What kind of sources did the author use, PRIMARY, eye witness, first hand sources, or SECONDARY?
How UPDATED is the source? Is it current, within 5 years?
Do MULTIPLE SOURCES agree with your source?
Does your source pass the C.R.A.A.P. test? LEARN HOW TO SPOT C.R.A.A.P. HERE!
Who Can I Trust?
Click on Hercules the Hawk to get a quick start on your research:
Click on the orange hawk to log in to our secret (whisper, whisper) databases!
In this era of fake news and claims of fake news, people must consider carefully the validity and reliability of their sources. More than ever, technological advances accelerate the spread of unreliable information. Factcheck.org explains that “bogus stories can reach more people more quickly via social media than what good old-fashioned viral emails could accomplish in years past.”
http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/).
DO NOT choose the first site you google.
DO NOT ASSUME that a source is trustworthy because it is in print or on the Internet.
DO NOT ignore the URL.
DO NOT assume Wikipedia is credible.
DO check the References section of Wikipedia articles.
DO find experts on the topic.
DO use your school’s databases.
DO look for recent sources within the last 5 years.
DO research the author’s name, the About Us link, and determine what education or experience makes the author qualified to speak on the topic.
DO look at eyewitness and primary sources.
DO identify bias, tone, and purpose.
DO find multiple sources.
DO check the author’s sources, the source’s sources.
Want to see a cool infographic on how to spot fake news?