Critical Evaluation of Resources

Credibility is the trustworthiness of a piece of information. It may also refer to the level of trust you put in the author's expertise. Are they credible? Where and how did they develop their expertise?

Evaluating the credibility of a source of information can help you decide whether or not to trust an information source. To do this, you may want to consider the source's scope, currency, target audience, and more as you make your decision.

You may want to consider the following as you evaluate a source:

Scope

• Does the source provide a general overview of the topic?
• Does the source focus on only one aspect of the topic?

Audience

• Who is the source written for? University scholars, general public, high school students?
• Is the material technical or clinical? What type of information do you need?

Currency

• When was the source published?
• If the source is a website, when was it last updated?
• Do you need the most current information on your subject, or are older publications acceptable?