Evaluating Source Credibility

Overview

The World Wide Web is a good tool for research, though a library is often better. Why? Because a library serves a "gatekeeper" role, ensuring that only reputably reviewed materials are stocked, while the Internet contains whatever people decide to post. So the Internet is not always a reliable source of information. Evaluating the quality of information is especially important when using Internet content because, unlike many other media, there are no gatekeepers to ensure that people publish accurate information. Most of the criteria for evaluating source credibility discussed below apply to ALL sources of information, though a few are specific to online content. But keep in mind that "source credibility" is a general issue, and not specific to the Internet.

Authorship

The author is the most important factor in evaluating the credibility of information. There are several criteria that can be used when evaluating an author:

The educational background of the author
The reputation the author has in his/her field of study
Institutional affiliation (educational, government, corporate, non-profit, none)
Whether the author was cited (or a web site linked to) by a credible source

There are several questions to ask when deciding if information from any particular author should be considered credible:

Has the content been reviewed, critiqued, or verified in any way?
Is the author a well-known and well-regarded expert in her/his field?
Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? For web sites, do authoritative sites link to the page?
What biographical information is available--author's position, address, and institutional or organizational affiliations? What are the basic values and goals of the institution or organization?

Publisher

The publisher of the information should be documented. The publisher is helpful in deciphering whether the information is valid. A publisher typically has some sort of screening process that ensures an "internal" satandard for credibility (though not all internal standards are rigorous or should be assumed to be adequate). Askk the following questions about the publisher:

Is this publisher/organization recognized in the field in which you are studying? Is thispublisher/organization likely to have credible expertise on the topic at hand?
Do you know the publisher's bias (point of view), if any?
Can you ascertain the relationship of the author and the publisher/server? Was the document that you are viewing prepared as part of the author’s professional duties (and, by extension, within his/her area of expertise)? Or is the relationship of a casual or for-fee nature, telling you nothing about the author’s credentials within an institution?
For web sites, can you verify the identity of the server where the document resides?
Is the name of any organization given on the document you are reading? Are there headers, footers, or a distinctive watermark that show the document to be part of an official academic or scholarly web site? Can you contact the webmaster from this document?
Can you link to a page where the above information is listed? Can you tell that it's on the same server and in the same directory (by looking at the URL)?
Does the web page actually reside in an individual's personal Internet account, rather than being part of an official web site?

Currency

The currency of information refers to its recency, or how up-to-date it is. Issues include:

Does a publication date appear with the information? A copyright date?
Does the article include the date/timeframe when the information was gathered?
Are the dates of additions or updates or revisions noted in the information?
If no date is given in an electronic document, you can view the directory in which it resides and read the date of latest modification

Domains

The domain is at the end of web sites address. This will allow you to understand the context in which the information was published. For exanmple, commercial sites (.com) have very different goals in publishing information and reports than do government sies and educational; sites. The following are examples of domain names:

.gov is a U.S. government site
.mil is a U.S. military site
.edu is an accredited post-secondary educational institution
.com is a commercial, for-profit entity
.org is a noncommercial, not-for-profit entity
.net is a computer network site, particularly an Internet-related network
.int is an international organization
.jp, .ru, .ca, .au, etc. are country identifiers

Knowledge of the Literature

Knowledge of the literature refers to the context in which the author situates his or her work. This reveals what the author knows about his or her discipline and its practices. This allows you to evaluate the author's scholarship or knowledge of trends in the area under discussion. The following criteria serve as a filter for all formats of information:

The document includes a bibliography
The author alludes to or displays knowledge of related sources, with proper attribution.
The author displays knowledge of theories, schools of thought, or techniques usually considered appropriate in the treatment of his or her subject
If the author is using a new theory or technique as a basis for research, he or she discusses the value and/or limitations of this new approach
If the author's treatment of the subject is controversial, he or she knows and acknowledges this

Accuracy of Details

This is a important part of the evaluation process, especially when you are reading the work of an author or an organization you are not particularly familiar with, or research that is presented in a nontraditional way. Criteria for evaluating accuracy include:

For a research document, an explanation of the research method(s) used to gather and interpret data should be included
The methodology outlined in the document is appropriate to the topic and allows the study to be replicated
The document relies on other sources that are listed in a bibliography or includes links to the documents themselves.
The document names individuals and/or sources that provided non-published data used in the preparation of the study
The background information that was used can be verified for accuracy

FDA Recommendations of Questions to Ask

The Food and Drug Association (FDA) provided consumers with a brief list of questions to consider when evaluation health, safety, and consumer information on web sites:

Who maintains the site? Government or University-run sites are among the best sources for scientifically sound health and medical information.
Is there an editorial board or another listing of the names and credentials of those responsible for preparing and reviewing the site's contents? Can these people be contacted by phone or through e-mail if visitors to the site have questions or want additional information?
Does the site link to other sources of information? No reputable organization will position itself as the sole source of information on a particular health topic.
When was the site last updated? Ideally, health and medical sites should be updated weekly or monthly.
Does the site charge an access fee? Many reputable sites with health and medical information offer access and materials for free.

Source: FDA Consumer, June 1996

(COMM 250 students - note that this is not a complete reference, so you cannot cite it.)

COMM 250 students: above average research papers (critiques) go beyond assigned class readings to incorporate additional sources and ideas. Please read (and cite) at least two other sources concerning this - or any other - issue. It will help you get a better grade on the critiques.