Reliable Sources: Match the following questions you should ask to determine if a source is reliable to their value in helping you make this important research process decision.
____ What is the writer's point of view about the topic?
____ Who is the author?
____ When was the information published or last updated?
____ Who published the information?
1. Determining whether the writer is educated on the topic, presents information reasonable, and addresses other points of view fairly can help you determine whether you can rely on the information the author is presenting.
2. If the writer is an expert on the topic, has published other papers or books on the subject and is recognized as reliable by other experts in the field, that can help you decide that this author is reliable.
3. Using information that is not up to date can call into question the reliability of your whole paper, so more recent publications may be more valuable to your paper. Web sites that are not updated frequently may no longer be valid and might need to be avoided.
4. Books and web sites can actually be self-published and may not be peer-reviewed by experts in the field, so not all information that is published is reliable or should be used in your papers.