What Is Considered A Credible Source?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The definition of a credible source can change depending on the discipline, but in general, for academic writing, a credible source is

one that is unbiased and is backed up with evidence

. When writing a research paper, always use and cite credible sources.

How do you know if a source is credible?

  1. 1) Accuracy. Verify the information you already know against the information found in the source. …
  2. 2) Authority. Make sure the source is written by a trustworthy author and/or institution. …
  3. 3) Currency. …
  4. 4) Coverage.

What is an example of a credible source?

Credible sources are generally texts that can be trusted and authoritative. … The most common credible sources are

scholarly journals, conference papers and books

because these have been peer-reviewed (read and approved for publication by other authors).

What are 4 credible sources?

In general, sources that you find at your university's library are credible, be

it books, scholarly journals, articles, music recordings or DVD's

.

What are 5 credible sources?

  • BBC News. BBC News is one of the most trusted sources you can ever find. …
  • The Economist. …
  • The Wall Street Journal. …
  • Google News. …
  • The Guardian. …
  • CNN.

Is .org a credible source?

Check the domain name

Look at the three letters at the end of the site's domain name, such as “edu” (educational), “gov” (government), “org” (nonprofit), and “com” (commercial). Generally,

. edu and . gov websites are credible

, but beware of sites that use these suffixes in an attempt to mislead.

Is Google a credible source?


Google is not an academic source

, or indeed, a source at all. … Rather, Google is a search engine designed to help find materials that are available on the internet. In general, Google should not be used to find academic sources, as most websites and documents are not of an academic nature.

Why is it important to use credible sources?

It is important to use credible sources in an academic research paper

because your audience will expect you to have backed up your assertions with

. … Using evidence that does not come from a credible source of information will not convince your reader that your claim is plausible or even correct.

Which source would offer the most credible information?

That's why it's of utmost importance to make sure that you're using the right websites for your research, with government and educational websites generally being the most reliable. Credible sources for research include:

science.gov, The World Factbook, US Census Bureau, UK Statistics

, and Encyclopedia Britannica.

Is .gov reliable?


gov are among the most reliable sources on the web

. BUT beware of political sites, their intent is usually used to sway public opinion.

What are the most trustworthy websites?

  • Youtube.com.
  • Yahoo News.
  • ArsTechnica.com.
  • CNN.
  • News.com.
  • NYTimes.
  • BBC.
  • Wired.

What is a non credible source?

Non-credible websites may

have a poor design, broken links, and grammar and spelling errors

. They may lack author, date and/or source information. They will not be associated with credible institutions, organizations, or entities. They may contain unbelievable or incorrect information.

What is the danger of using unreliable websites?

Unreliable sources

may give inaccurate information

, meaning the wrong decision is made. Unreliable sources may be out of date; meaning a decision which should have been made if the information had been received on time is missed. This could result in a lost opportunity.

What are 3 Reliable sources?

  • materials published within last 10 years;
  • research articles written by respected and well-known authors;
  • websites registered by government and educational institutions (. gov, . edu, . …
  • academic databases (i.e. Academic Search Premier or JSTOR);
  • materials from Google Scholar.

Where can I find credible sources?

Use

online scholarly databases such as InfoTrac, LexisNexis, and EBSCO

, which provide access to the latest research in hundreds of areas. Newspapers and magazines are also rich sources of information about what is happening now. Consider browsing through the New York Times, TIME, and the Wall Street Journal.

What are some unreliable websites?

  • Various social media sites (Facebook, blogs, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc). …
  • Websites and blogs with news that is based on opinion (Medium, Natural News). …
  • Fake news outlets with no links to other sources (Empire News).
  • Sites designed to look like reputable sources (CNSNews.com).
Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.