Credibility and Evaluating Sources with Examples

What does reliable mean when referring to sources for your writing?

• Something is credible, trustworthy, and objective.

• Something is printed online by more than one site.

• You can depend on that source to give you accurate opinions.

Why is using reliable sources important?

• To clarify your understanding of the topic.

• To find other people who think like you do.

• So you can be sure you are providing the whole truth.

• To prove that you're right and everyone who disagrees with you is wrong.

Why should you figure out if a source is reliable?

• To know how many people will believe it.

• To see how to use it in your writing.

• Because your teacher said so.

• To see if you should use it in your writing.

Identify which one measures the reliability of a source:

• If the author is a well known blogger.

• If the author is an expert on the topic.

• If the article is published on Wikipedia.

• If the author is unknown, but the publication is shared on social media a lot.

What lowers an author's reliability?

• If they are trying to persuade or convince the audience.

• If they are writing to inform the audience.

• If they are writing to educate the audience.

• If they present both sides of the issue.

What is bias?

• When a writer uses only his or her own experiences to support their claims.

• When a writer doesn't have an opinion on the topic, but they've chosen sides.

• When a writer has such strong feelings about a topic that they ignore conflicting evidence.

How can you avoid using unreliable sources?

• Look for newspapers, magazines, and organizations that have good reputations.

• Make sure the author is an expert on the topic.

• Verify your information by using more than one source.

• Look only for sources that support what you believe.

Is the date that something was published important?

• Yes. Sometimes newer sources correct misinformation from earlier sources.

• Yes. Sometimes, interpretations of sources in newer sources provide more clarity than the original source.

• No. Anything published online has already been fact checked and corrected.

• No. If it was published at some point, it's right forever.

Which of the following is a good source for reliable information?

• An article found online

• Statistics presented in an election ad

• A blog by your favorite influencer

• A peer reviewed journal

Why isn't your opinion in your essay considered to be evidence or a reliable source?

• You are not an expert in any topic.

• Your opinions, without the support of facts, are biased.

• Your opinion, disguised as facts in your essay, is often just plagiarized from somewhere else.

• Your opinions need to be substantiated by credible sources.