Annotations and Evaluating Sources

Authority / Credibility

"Credibility is based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority should be viewed with an attitude of informed skepticism and an openness to new perspectives, additional voices, and changes in schools of thought." —ACRL, "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" (2015).

Who wrote or otherwise created the source? Who published it?

Credibility can be determined through the combination of different factors:

• Author(s) and their credentials
• Publisher(s) and their credentials
• Purpose and point of view
• Type of information and format
• Intended audience

Trust is built through credibility.

One way to help determine credibility is to look at who created the content. Do a little research on the author or publisher.

• Do they have expertise in the subject area?
• Do they have any education degrees, such as a PhD?
• If so, are those degrees relevant to the subject at hand? is there a named author?
• How easy is it to find out information about the authors?

Very closely related is the publisher.

• Who are they?
• Why are they publishing it?
• Do they tend to present content through a specific lens or bias?

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information needed may help determine the level of authority required.

Authority varies depending on the information, the audience, and the context. It should be viewed with an attitude of informed skepticism and an openness to new perspectives, additional voices, and changes in schools of thought.

Check out these related guides:

• Criteria for Evaluating Information
• Fake News