If you'd like a break from reading text, the video below explains the following information in more detail.
What does it mean to be credible?
The source should be high quality, trustworthy, and believable.
Why is credibility important?
A source that was once considered high quality may lose credibility as new discoveries are made.
The best quality research builds on other high quality research.
Some factors that contribute to credibility
- The author's expertise or experience. Or, if no author is named (such as in a newspaper) the reputation of the publication and content of the article become important factors.
- The author's point of view and/or level of bias. Bias exists in all sources. The question is whether it is intentional or unintentional. It's also important to consider the consequences of the author's bias. How high are the stakes?
- The date of publication. How important is it that the information is recent?