Evaluating Sources

"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." - Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

Trust is built upon credibility and authority.

Credibility can be determined through the combination of different factors:

• Author and author's credentials
• Publisher and publisher's credentials
• Purpose and point of view
• Type of information and format
• Intended audience

This framework refers to a recognition that information resources are drawn from a creator's expertise and 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.

Criteria for Evaluating Information

Fake News

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?