As you evaluate sources, ask yourself who wrote what you’re reading—investigate the author and organization that produced the information. Look at the title page, “about” page or “author” links to find out if what you’re reading was written by an expert or published by an unbiased institution.

Question

To evaluate a source, look for:

A recognized authority
What else the writer has published
Education, training and experience
Let's say you're researching a topic on education and you find an article by the following authors:

DR. JOAN SHIRING

B.A., 1973, Pennsylvania State University; M.Ed. 1981, University of Texas; Ph.D. 1986, University of Texas
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
ROBERT CORNWALLIS

Avid Dateline watcher and news junkie
Expert fisherman and rock climber
Dr. Shiring has academic and professional credentials in the field of education. Robert Cornwallis does not. There’s nothing in his biography that suggests that he can offer anything other than an opinion. Therefore, you don’t want to use him as a source.

Which of the following best helps you evaluate a source?

A
an author’s academic credentials

B
an author’s age

C
an author’s sense of humor

D
an author’s use of charts, graphs and other images

Answer 1

The best option to help you evaluate a source is:

A an author’s academic credentials

Academic credentials indicate the author's level of expertise and knowledge in the subject matter, which is crucial for determining the reliability and authority of the information presented.