What Is An Outside Source
What Are Credible Sources & How to Spot Them | Examples
A credible source is free from bias and backed upwards with evidence. Information technology is written by a trustworthy writer or organization.
There are a lot of sources out there, and information technology can be difficult to tell what's credible and what isn't at kickoff glance.
Evaluating source brownie is an important data literacy skill. It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you lot depict.
Types of sources
In that location are many different types of sources, which can exist divided into iii categories: main, secondary, and tertiary.
Master sources are often considered the well-nigh credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, equally they give you direct evidence of what you lot are researching. Nevertheless, information technology's up to y'all to ensure the data they provide is reliable and authentic.
Y'all will probable use a combination of the three types over the course of your enquiry process.
| Blazon | Definition | Case |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | First-hand evidence giving you directly access to your research topic |
|
| Secondary | 2nd-manus data that analyzes, describes, or evaluates chief sources |
|
| Third | Sources that identify, index, or consolidate primary and secondary sources |
|
How to identify a credible source
There are a few criteria to look at right away when assessing a source. Together, these criteria grade what is known as the CRAAP test.
- The information should be up-to-engagement and current.
- The source should be relevant to your research.
- The writer and publication should exist a trusted say-so on the subject you lot are researching.
- The sources the author cited should exist easy to discover, clear, and unbiased.
- For spider web sources, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
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The CRAAP examination
The CRAAP exam is a catchy acronym that volition help yous evaluate the brownie of a source you are thinking near using. California State University developed it in 2004 to aid students call up best practices for evaluating content.
- Currency: Is the source up-to-date?
- Relevance: Is the source relevant to your enquiry?
- Authority: Where is the source published? Who is the writer? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?
- Accuracy: Is the source supported by bear witness? Are the claims cited correctly?
- Purpose: What was the motive behind publishing this source?
The criteria for evaluating each bespeak depend on your research topic.
For example, if you are researching cut-border scientific technology, a source from ten years ago volition not be sufficiently current. However, if yous are researching the Peloponnesian War, a source from 200 years ago would be reasonable to refer to.
Be conscientious when ascertaining purpose. It can be very unclear (oft by design!) what a source'south motive is. For example, a journal article discussing the efficacy of a particular medication may seem apparent, but if the publisher is the manufacturer of the medication, yous tin't be sure that it is free from bias. As a rule of thumb, if a source is fifty-fifty passively trying to convince you to purchase something, it may not be credible.
Newspapers tin can be a dandy way to glean first-paw information about a historical event or situate your research topic within a broader context. However, the veracity and reliability of online news sources can vary enormously—be sure to pay careful attention to say-so here.
When evaluating academic journals or books published past university presses, it'south ever a good dominion of thumb to ensure they are peer-reviewed and published in a reputable journal.
What is peer review?
The peer review process evaluates submissions to academic journals. A panel of reviewers in the same bailiwick expanse make up one's mind whether a submission should exist accustomed for publication based on a set of criteria.
For this reason, academic journals are ofttimes considered amid the almost apparent sources y'all can use in a research projection– provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well-regarded.
Where to notice credible sources
What sources you use depend on the kind of research you are conducting.
For preliminary research and getting to know a new topic, you lot could use a combination of master, secondary, and tertiary sources.
- Encyclopedias
- Textbooks
- Websites with .edu or .org domains
- News sources with first-hand reporting
- Inquiry-oriented magazines like ScienceMag or Nature Weekly.
As y'all dig deeper into your scholarly research, books and bookish journals are usually your best bet.
Academic journals are often a peachy identify to notice trustworthy and credible content, and are considered one of the most reliable sources you can employ in academic writing.
- Is the periodical indexed in academic databases?
- Has the periodical had to retract many articles?
- Are the journal's policies on copyright and peer review easily available?
- Are there solid "About" and "Scope" pages detailing what sorts of articles they publish?
- Has the author of the commodity published other articles? A quick Google Scholar search volition show y'all.
- Has the author been cited by other scholars? Google Scholar also has a function called "Cited Past" that tin prove you where the writer has been cited. A high number of "Cited By" results can frequently be a measurement of brownie.
Google Scholar is a search engine for academic sources. This is a nifty place to kick off your research. You can likewise consider using an academic database similar LexisNexis or regime open data to become started.
Open Educational Resources, or OERs, are materials that have been licensed for "free employ" in educational settings. Legitimate OERs tin be a great resource. Be sure they have a Creative Commons license allowing them to be duplicated and shared, and meet the CRAAP exam criteria, especially in the dominance section. The OER Commons is a public digital library that is curated by librarians, and a solid identify to get-go.
| Interdisciplinary |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific discipline + Mathematics |
|
| Social Science + Humanities |
|
Evaluating spider web sources
It can be particularly challenging to verify the credibility of online sources. They often do non accept single authors or publication dates, and their motivation tin exist more difficult to ascertain.
Websites are not subject to the peer-review and editing process that academic journals or books go through, and can be published by anyone at any time.
When evaluating the credibility of a website, look outset at the URL. The domain extension can assistance you understand what type of website yous're dealing with.
- Educational resources cease in .edu, and are by and large considered the most credible in bookish settings.
- Advancement or non-profit organizations end in .org.
- Government-affiliated websites end in .gov.
- Websites with some sort of commercial aspect stop in .com (or .co.uk, or another country-specific domain).
In general, cheque for vague terms, buzzwords, or writing that is too emotive or subjective. Beware of grandiose claims, and critically analyze annihilation not cited or backed up by show.
- How does the website expect and feel? Does it look professional person to you?
- Is there an "About U.s.a." page, or a fashion to contact the author or arrangement if you need clarification on a claim they take made?
- Are there links to other sources on the page, and are they trustworthy?
- Can the information yous found be verified elsewhere, even via a simple Google search?
- When was the website terminal updated? If it hasn't been updated recently, it may not pass the CRAAP test.
- Does the website have a lot of advertisements or sponsored content? This could be a sign of bias.
- Is a source of funding disclosed? This could also give you lot insight into the author and publisher'due south motivations.
Social media posts, blogs, and personal websites tin be good resources for a situational analysis or grounding of your preliminary ideas, but do circumspection hither. These highly personal and subjective sources are seldom reliable enough to stand up on their own in your concluding research production.
Similarly, Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source due to the fact that it can exist edited by anyone at whatever time. All the same, it can be a good starting signal for general information and finding other sources.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a source credible?
-
A credible source should pass the CRAAP exam and follow these guidelines:
- The data should be up to engagement and current.
- The author and publication should be a trusted say-so on the subject you are researching.
- The sources the author cited should be piece of cake to find, clear, and unbiased.
- For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
- What is the definition of peer review?
-
Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Utilizing rigorous criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject surface area decide whether to have each submission for publication. For this reason, bookish journals are ofttimes considered among the most apparent sources you lot tin employ in a research project– provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well-regarded.
- What is the CRAAP test?
-
The CRAAP test is an acronym to help you evaluate the brownie of a source you are considering using. Information technology is an important component of information literacy.
The CRAAP test has 5 main components:
- Currency: Is the source upward to engagement?
- Relevance: Is the source relevant to your research?
- Potency: Where is the source published? Who is the author? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?
- Accuracy: Is the source supported by testify? Are the claims cited correctly?
- Purpose: What was the motive behind publishing this source?
- What are examples of academic dishonesty?
-
Academic dishonesty can be intentional or unintentional, ranging from something equally simple every bit claiming to have read something you didn't to copying your neighbour'due south answers on an exam.
You tin commit bookish dishonesty with the best of intentions, such as helping a friend cheat on a paper. Severe bookish dishonesty can include buying a pre-written essay or the answers to a multiple-choice test, or falsifying a medical emergency to avoid taking a final test.
- How can yous tell if a source is primary or secondary?
-
To determine if a source is primary or secondary, enquire yourself:
- Was the source created by someone direct involved in the events you're studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
- Does the source provide original information (chief), or does it summarize data from other sources (secondary)?
- Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or only using it for background information (secondary)?
Some types of source are nearly always master: works of art and literature, raw statistical information, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source.
Primary sources are oftentimes considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they requite yous straight prove of what yous are researching. However, information technology'due south up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and authentic.
Ever make certain to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You tin can cite our article (APA Way) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr article
George, T. (August 19, 2022). What Are Credible Sources & How to Spot Them | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved Oct 24, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/credible-sources/
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