How to Evaluate Sources
A practical set of questions for judging whether a source is reliable and appropriate.
Not every source is equally reliable. Judging sources is a skill you can practise.
Questions to ask
- Authority: Who wrote it? What is their expertise or connection to the topic?
- Purpose: Is it meant to inform, persuade, sell or entertain?
- Evidence: Does it provide evidence, data or references? Can you verify claims elsewhere?
- Currency: When was it published or updated? Does the topic change quickly?
- Accuracy: Does it agree with other reliable sources?
- Balance: Does it acknowledge other views and uncertainty?
Types of sources
- Peer-reviewed journals: reviewed by other experts before publication. Strong for research claims.
- Books from academic publishers: often well researched.
- Government and international organisation data: often authoritative for statistics.
- News reports: useful for current events; check the original reporting.
- Opinion pieces and blogs: useful for viewpoints, not for settled facts.
- Social media: can be a primary source for what people said, but unreliable for facts without verification.
Lateral reading
Instead of studying a website for clues, open new tabs and search for what others say about the source and its claims. This is often quicker and more informative.
Check the original
If an article cites a study, find the study. Headlines often simplify or exaggerate findings.
Common mistakes
- Trusting a source because it looks professional.
- Rejecting a source only because it is biased, rather than considering how it can still be useful.
- Using one source for an important claim.
Quick recap
Check authority, purpose, evidence, currency and balance, cross-check with other sources, and go back to the original where you can.