Assessing the credibility and relevance of the sources you find is an essential step in selecting appropriate materials for a writing assignment. But how can you do that? Let’s review the types of sources we've covered so far.
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Popular |
- / + | When it comes to credibility, there is significant variation among popular sources. This category includes everything from entertainment books (e.g., Life is Too Short) and magazines (e.g., Celebrity) to reputable newspapers (e.g., The New York Times) and respected popular magazines (e.g., Popular Science). However, some popular sources – particularly tabloids and low-quality entertainment media – are known for poor editorial standards, exaggerated or misleading headlines, and a lack of fact-checking, which can significantly undermine their reliability. |
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Professional |
+ | Professional sources, including industry publications, trade journals, and professional organization websites, are generally reliable. These sources are often written by practitioners or experts in a particular field and can provide valuable insights and current trends. Although many professional publications apply editorial oversight and conduct fact-checking, their quality control processes are generally less strict and thorough than those used in scholarly publishing. |
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Scholarly |
++ | Scholarly sources undergo a rigorous review and validation process, making them the most credible among traditionally published materials. Before publication, scholarly articles typically go through peer review, where experts in the field evaluate the work for accuracy, originality, and methodological soundness. Scholarly books are published by university presses and reputable academic publishers that have have strict editorial guidelines. As part of their quality control process, these publishers require thorough editorial oversight, fact-checking, and input from subject-matter experts to ensure the content is accurate, well-researched, and academically sound. |
The conclusion is that the credibility of popular and professional sources can vary significantly, while scholarly sources are generally regarded as the most reliable due to their rigorous review and editorial processes.
However, even scholarly sources are not immune to errors or biases, and it is important to approach them with a critical mindset. Reputable journals like Nature, Science, and The Lancet have, on occasion, published articles that were later retracted because of mistakes, data manipulation, or fraud. Additionally, some journals publish satirical or humorous pieces (such as the British Medical Journal's April Fool's Day article or the Canadian Medical Association Journal's Holiday Review) that, while intended as a light-hearted contribution, can sometimes be misinterpreted as legitimate research.
The reputable British Medical Journal (BMJ) pulled an April Fools day joke in 2006. An article published in BMJ, dated April 1, described a new psychological disorder, Motivational Deficiency Disorder, something that turned out to be extreme laziness.
A quote from the article: “Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe.”
The prank, however, had a purpose: the article was designed to bring attention to a conference on so-called disease mongering – the medicalization of ordinary conditions.
In the early 2000s, the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published a special series known as the Holiday Review, featuring quirky, holiday-themed articles. These ranged from unconventional studies based on real data to deliberately exaggerated or entirely fictional articles intended purely for entertainment.
Despite their humorous nature, these articles were indexed in MEDLINE, a major medical research database, alongside serious scientific publications. As a result, some of these humorous articles were mistakenly cited as legitimate research – for example, a case report involving a cartoon character, along with several other instances where clearly satirical studies were taken at face value.
Unlike "white" literature (traditional scholarly sources), grey literature typically has less rigorous quality control, and in some cases, none at all. As a result, some grey literature may not be reliable and could be unsuitable for use in assignments.
That being said, grey literature can still be credible and highly valuable. For example, recent research might not yet be published in a journal or book but could be found in working papers or conference papers. Reports from professional organizations may offer more in-depth or practical insights than traditionally published sources. Government and EU publications, whether academic or not, are generally considered trustworthy. Additionally, many respected academics, journalists, and public figures share reliable information through blogs.
It is clear that every source you consider using in your work must be carefully evaluated. To effectively assess sources, you need clear guidelines that help you identify reliable information and avoid potential pitfalls.
How can you determine if a source is credible? One common method is the CRAAP test.
CRAAP is an acronym for the five key criteria used to assess whether a source is credible and useful: currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. To determine which sources are appropriate for your assignment, evaluate them by asking the questions associated with each of these criteria. Ensure that every source you plan to use in your assignment meets the standards of the CRAAP test!
If having current, up-to-date information is crucial for your topic, then ask:
"The CRAAP test" is adapted from "Website Research: CRAAP Test" by Rebecca Hill Renirie available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Not all information about your topic will be relevant to your needs. The information must be useful. To determine if it is, ask:
When discussing authority, we are referring to the author. Understanding who wrote and published the information helps determine whether it is credible and unbiased.
Important To help answer the Authority questions, check out a website's About Us page.
Since you’re probably not an expert on your research topic, it’s important to ensure that the claims made in your sources are accurate.
Information can be shared to inform, persuade, entertain, or convince you to buy something.
Important To help answer these questions, always review the website's 'About Us' section (if available). It provides insights into the website's purpose and viewpoint.
Watch this brief video about the CRAAP test:
Source: McMaster University Library. Published under a CC BY 3.0 license.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
by Tilburg University.