If you’re a student, or in any position that involves research, you’ve undoubtedly been told that the information you use for your paper or project should come from reputable sources. But what exactly are reputable sources, where can you find them, and why are they so important?
What Qualifies as a Reputable Source?
Reputable sources are articles, books, videos, or other types of content that are considered current and reliable. This means a source should meet certain criteria1:
- The material should be up to date and verifiable.
- The writing should have clear motives and be free of bias.
- It should contain the author’s name and cite their sources.
- Content should be reviewed before publication by other experts, editors, or fact checkers.
Why Is It Important to Use Credible Sources?
Credible sources are the cornerstone of well-researched academic work because they can add a sense of authority to your arguments and ideas. Using them also ensures that proper credit is given to the authors you are referencing, and allows your readers to track down your sources if they want to conduct their own research.
This can be important if you’re looking to build your reputation, attract readers, or simply get a good grade.
How Can You Determine If a Source Is Reliable?
There are several ways to evaluate if a source is reliable2:
- Research the author. Note their qualifications, previous publications, and affiliations to ensure that they’re a credible authority in their field.
- If you’re looking at an academic paper, analyze the section about methodology to make sure the research is exacting and thorough.
- Check the publication date to determine if the material is recent or up to date.
- Consider whether the author may have any conflicts of interest, such as working for the organization they are investigating. This could result in a biased perspective.
- Validate research and information by cross-referencing it with publications by other experts.
Examples of Reliable Sources
- Established news outlets such as Forbes, the New York Times, the Associated Press, or The Washington Post.
- Textbooks or other scholarly books by respected authors and publishers.
- Credible professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
- Websites belonging to government organizations (typically ending in .gov or .org)
Examples of Unreliable Sources
- Social media sites.
- Opinion blogs or advertisements designed to resemble news stories.
- News sites that don’t contain links to sources or easily verifiable information.
- Informational websites created by companies that want you to buy their product.
Online University Libraries
If you are a student looking for credible sources, your university’s online library is often a great place to start. Libraries let you access a wealth of online resources, as well as tutorials on how to find and use them.
Many university libraries offer access to academic databases – massive directories of scientific papers, articles, market trend reports, and more. These are a good alternative to traditional search engines because the information you find will have gone through rigorous scrutiny. Some examples of academic databases are EBSCO, ProQuest, and CQ Researcher.
In Conclusion
Learning to discern between reliable and unreliable information is a skill that can be invaluable to your academic success, and with the multitude of misleading sources available online, doing so is important.
For more information on evaluating sources, visit the CTU Writing Support Center, accessible to anyone!
1 Lee, Hwa Jin (Ginny), How to Distinguish between Reliable and Unreliable Sources Online, http://inkspire.org/post/how-to-distinguish-between-reliable-and-unreliable-sources-online/-MKNvPDSaxfUKjIneDIr, November 28, 2020.
2 CTU Writing Support Center, http://careered.libguides.com/ctu/writing/eval, accessed February 16, 2024.
REQ2007715 April 2024
