How do I know if I can trust an information source?
Answer
For academic assignments, you might be asked to find peer-reviewed articles. The peer review process helps ensure that information is accurate, so you can usually trust information from peer reviewed sources.
If you find information in other types of sources, try using these strategies to help you evaluate them:
- Find out who is responsible for the information and determine whether you can trust them. The Just Add Wikipedia video describes one way to learn more about the author or organization behind a work.
- Trace claims back to their original context. This can involve looking for references or links to other information sources and then checking whether the evidence matches the claims made in the source you’re evaluating. The Click Through & Find video shows an example of how to do this.