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.
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Popular |
- / + | When it comes to credibility, there is significant variation among popular sources. This category includes everything from entertainment books like Life is Too Short and magazines such as Celebrity to reputable newspapers like The New York Times and respected popular magazines such as 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 professionals 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 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.
Despite their authoritative reputation, even scholarly sources are not immune to flaws. Prestigious publications such as Nature, Science, and The Lancet have occasionally published articles that were later retracted due to various issues, including honest mistakes, data manipulation, or outright fraud. These instances highlight that peer review and editorial processes, while rigorous, are not infallible.
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.
Unlike "white" literature (traditional scholarly sources), grey literature typically undergoes less rigorous quality control, and sometimes none at all. As a result, some grey literature may not be reliable and could be unsuitable for use in course assignments.
That said, grey literature can be both credible and highly valuable, offering access to important information and research that may not yet appear in traditionally published academic sources. It includes materials such as government-funded research reports, policy documents, working papers, and conference papers – many of which provide recent insights unavailable in journals or books. Reports from professional organizations often contain more in-depth or practical perspectives, while government and EU publications are generally considered trustworthy. Well-known experts and journalists also often share useful and reliable information in blogs.
Every source you consider for your paper needs to be thoroughly evaluated. To effectively assess sources, you need clear guidelines that help you identify reliable information and avoid potential pitfalls.
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