There are many things to consider when deciding on a source to use for an assignment.

The following questions will guide you when considering sources and whether or not they are appropriate for your assignment.

Guiding Questions

Who is the intended audience?

Sources are often written with a specific audience in mind. Consider who that audience might be. Was it written for students? Academics? Casual readers? Thinking about the audience will help you determine the point of view and purpose of the source.

Do the authors have authority? Why or why not?

Who created the source? Do you know anything about them? If not, try searching the author's name in a browser. Does the author have credibility? Are they renowned and published, or lesser known? Do they have credentials, such as degrees or recognition from trustworthy publications? Do they have personal knowledge of or experience of an event or topic?” Asking these questions will further help you determine if the author is speaking from a place of authority.

Is the publisher trustworthy?

Consider who published the source. Was it a news journal, an academic journal, a social media platform, or was it self-published on a blog? Does the publisher have credibility? If a credible publisher is behind the source, it is more likely to be trustworthy.

Does the author use citations? Do they tell you where they got their information?

A simple way to determine if a source is credible is by looking at it's citations. If the creator cites where their information came from, it is easier for you as the consumer to consider the source's credibility. It is a good sign if the author is citing a variety of strong sources.

Next, we'll begin evaluating our four sources.