Reliable vs. Unreliable Sources

What are sources? Sources are references and evidence a writer uses in his or her research that influence and support their work. Examples of Sources? Books – Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin Articles – The LA Times, Time Magazine Journals - Ebsco Interviews – First or second hand interviews Pictures – uses for analysis and support

Why Cite? To provide authenticity/credibility to research To provide compelling support for one’s topic or argument Organized citing allows one’s sources to be verified by the readers Citation limits plagiarism Proper citation saves the writer lots of academic and legal problems

Where do we find sources? Libraries Digital Library Internet Websites Newspapers Video Collections (ex. Documentaries) The Community (ex. Local government offices like city hall)

What makes a source reliable? Known author Part of a respected academic community Ex. Associated with Universities Rely on research Printed by established publishing companies Provides verifiable evidence/honesty about bias Part of information centers Author’s job is on the line.

What Can make a source unreliable? Are extremely biased No author Independent blogs (not all of the time) Though convenient, .com and .org websites can often be unreliable but there are exceptions (ex. NYTimes.com) Lack evidence and are purely opinion based Do not cite their own sources

When to use “unreliable” sources You may use unreliable sources to make a point in your writing By using an unreliable/popular source you may address a counter argument When gathering a variety of opinions/perceptions on a subject