Who is the author? It is important to never use a site that does not have the author listed. It is the reader's responsibility to know what and who they are reading. You must do your “homework” on the author and make sure they are qualified to be writing about the topics they are. A source would be not credible if a knee doctor is writing about the ozone layer depletion. A credible author contributes to a safer more credible source.
How recent is the source? If the source does not have an appropriate date of publish for …show more content…
You must consider where a source comes from and how relevant it is to your purpose, this is especially true for online sources. Most “.gov” and “.edu” websites are credible because they are risking the credibility of their school or department if they publish uncredible information. The riskiest sites are those that are “.com” sites because anyone can own that URL and anyone can publish anything they like without review. Most information physically printed through a publishing company is more likely to be credible than a random “.com” site because the publishing company is at risk as well as the editors. The most important thing to consider is the source publication place and how it relates to what it is you are looking for. Keep in mind that you should never assume anything is credible without proper research.
These few questions are among many important ones to ask when trying to find a credible source. You must know, research and address the author, check for publication date and make sure it pertains to your interest, and make sure the publication source fits with the information you