Chapter 3: The Research Process Key Concepts: Determining the Credibility of Sources

Is the Source Credible? Authority. Is the source of the information identified by name? Is there a way to verify the legitimacy of the source? Does the source have a bias or reason to distort its information? What credentials does the source have to provide this information? Have experts subjected the information to a process of review? 2 2

Is the Source Credible? Intent. Is the motivation for providing the information clear? Is the intent informational, that is, to provide facts and figures? Is the intent advocacy, meaning that the source is sponsored by an organization attempting to influence public opinion? Is the intent advertising, meaning that the purpose of the source is to promote or sell something? 3 3

Is the Source Credible? Currency. How recent are the facts and figures? Is there a date to indicate when the source was first published or last updated? Might things have changed considerably since this information was gathered? Fairness. Do the authors present the material in a balanced manner, or do they focus only on the positive or negative aspects? 4 4

Is the Source Credible? Reliability. How did the authors derive the information? Do they cite their sources? Are the data consistent with other known sources? Did the authors follow accepted research procedures? Do they provide enough detail? Do they address the limitations of the information? Is the information well presented and free of grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors? 5 5

Common Sources Journals Internet (.com is the least credible) Refereed: Judged by experts in blind review Not refereed: Author’s name is known to reviewers Internet (.com is the least credible) .gov = government site .edu = educational institution .org = nonprofit organization .com = commercial, generic 6 6