This page will help you evaluate an information source by explaining some of the key aspects you will want to analyze.
Paul Bradshaw, a leading digital media expert and teacher in Europe, writes the Online Journalism Blog. In 2011, he wrote a post that provides a variety of basic guidelines about online verification with a section related to social media:
How long has the account existed? If it’s only existed since a relevant story broke (e.g. Jan Moir’s column; an earthquake where someone claims to be a witness) then it’s likely to be opportunistic.
Who did the person first ‘follow’ or ‘friend’? These should be personal contacts, or fit the type of person you’re dealing with. If their first follow is ReadWriteWeb, then it may be that you’re not actually dealing with a Daily Mail columnist.
Who first followed them? Likewise, it should be their friends and colleagues.
Who has spoken to them online? Ditto.
Who has spoken about them? Here you may find friends and colleagues, but also people who have rumbled them. But don’t take anyone else’s word for their existence unless you can verify them too.
Can you correlate this account with others? The Firefox extension Identify is a useful tool here: it suggests related social network accounts which you can then try to cross-reference. For companies the Chrome extension Polaris Insights does something similar for companies.
In evaluating the credibility of an information source there are several key areas to consider:
The tables below provide a framework for investigating these aspects of an information source, whether it be an article in a journal or newspaper or encyclopedia; a book; a web site; a government document; or any other source upon which you're relying. Not all questions will apply in all situations, and not all responses need to be positive ones - this is not a scorecard. The questions are intended to help you think critically about information sources.
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Who is the author? |
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What are the author's credentials?
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What is the author's reputation among peers?
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Who is the publisher?
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Is the author associated with a reputable institution or organization?
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Does the author state the goals for this publication? Are they to inform, explain, or advocate? Are they to sell a service or serve as a soapbox? |
Skim the foreword, preface, abstract and/or introduction of the work. |
Does the author exhibit a particular bias?
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Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched?
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Is the information well-organized?
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If it's a book, look at the table of contents to get an idea of the work and skim the text itself. |
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Are the graphics (images, tables, charts, diagrams) appropriate?
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If a web page, is the information reliable? | Evaluating Web Pages and Websites |
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When was it published? |
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Is your topic one that requires current information? | Topic areas requiring the most up-to-date information include:
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Has this source been updated in a subsequent edition? | Search WorldCat for a more recent edition |
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Is the content appropriate for your research topic or assignment?
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