Friday, June 27, 2008

How To Evaluate The Credibility Of A Source (Wiki-how)

Wiki-How has a good, short article on how to evaluate the credibility of a source (Thanks, Mike!). While this article was obviously written in the context of an internet-based source, there is the possibility of a broader application here.

The main points are:

  1. Think about how reliable you need the information to be. (Comment: I particularly like this as a starting point.)
  2. Consider the medium with which you are working.
  3. Research the author.
  4. Check the date. (Comment: I would add check the date of the information not just the date of publication. I've been burnt on this one...)
  5. Investigate the publisher.
  6. Determine the intended audience.
  7. Check the reviews.
  8. Evaluate the source's sources. (Comment: This is a particularly effective way to teach source reliability to students. They don't expect it, which makes the less more "memorable")
  9. Identify bias.
  10. Investigate the financial or funding sources for sponsored research.
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How To Communicate Your Weaknesses In An Interview
How-to Sites

1 comment:

Kristan J. Wheaton said...

Fixed the typo in the headline. Sorry folks! Thanks, Dave!