Consider your experiences with finding and assessing sources. In particular, using a personal experience as an example, discuss whether and to what extent one of the strategies in this section for evaluating sources has been or would have been helpful. Then, share your thoughts on the discussion forum. Make sure to review and respond to other students' posts, as well.
Discussion: Finding and Assessing Sources
Considering my own experience with finding and assessing sources, I would say I most often seek out peer-reviewed sources or sources from a trustworthy database. I have only ever sought out sources digitally and often use a database provided by my school. I find that using notable databases of legitimized sources that have been peer-reviewed and fact-checked is a foolproof way to find helpful sources.
I totally agree. Relying on peer-reviewed articles are much safer.
By understanding the author's background and potential biases, you can make more informed decisions about the credibility of their information. Remember, no single strategy is foolproof, but using multiple methods like this one can significantly improve your ability to assess the quality of the information you encounter.
That's correct. Desiree Polo. It would help if the author ia known.
I agree; the more methods you can use, the more likely you'll be able to get a more well-rounded and unbiased set of information.
One strategy for evaluating sources that I find particularly helpful is cross-referencing information from multiple sources. This strategy has been invaluable to me in various academic and professional contexts, especially when conducting research or fact-checking.
For example, when I was writing a research paper on climate change, I came across a study that made bold claims about the impact of deforestation on global warming. Initially, the study seemed credible, with well-presented data and convincing arguments. However, I decided to cross-reference the findings with other reputable sources to ensure their accuracy and reliability.
By consulting peer-reviewed articles, reports from reputable organizations like NASA and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and expert opinions from climate scientists, I was able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. Through this process, I discovered that while the study I initially encountered had some valid points, its conclusions were overstated and lacked sufficient evidence to support its claims.
This experience highlighted the importance of cross-referencing information from multiple sources to validate the credibility and accuracy of a source. It also taught me to critically evaluate the methodology, evidence, and expertise behind each source to discern fact from opinion and ensure the integrity of my research.
For example, when I was writing a research paper on climate change, I came across a study that made bold claims about the impact of deforestation on global warming. Initially, the study seemed credible, with well-presented data and convincing arguments. However, I decided to cross-reference the findings with other reputable sources to ensure their accuracy and reliability.
By consulting peer-reviewed articles, reports from reputable organizations like NASA and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and expert opinions from climate scientists, I was able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. Through this process, I discovered that while the study I initially encountered had some valid points, its conclusions were overstated and lacked sufficient evidence to support its claims.
This experience highlighted the importance of cross-referencing information from multiple sources to validate the credibility and accuracy of a source. It also taught me to critically evaluate the methodology, evidence, and expertise behind each source to discern fact from opinion and ensure the integrity of my research.
Olha, that's a really great way to find out what everyone's shared understanding is of a subject and also discover where they diverge.
In researching the elements that go into determining how to select the best home loan to buy a house, I did extensive research on the internet. I used it to identify the key elements that can be used to compare one loan offer to another: the stated interest rate; the annual percentage rate, which takes into account the fees the lender is charging; the use of discount fees to lower the stated interest rate rate; the pros and cons of a fixed rate vs an adjustable rate mortgage; and the Federal Reserve's role in determining home loan interest rates. To help me understand these ideas, I relied primarily on websites that are known to provide objective information designed to inform consumers, such as Investopedia which was founded in 1999 to provide clear and simple definitions and terminology designed to help simplify financial decisions for readers in order to help them manage their financial lives. They have strong editorial standards, a financial review board, fact checkers, and have a respected editorial team that manages its content. I also checked the Federal Reserve's website to look at its schedule of meetings in 2024. I also read several articles and discussion boards to understand other people's experience with home loans and lenders. By synthesizing non-biased, factual information with the subjective and personal experiences of others, I was able to get comfortable going out into the marketplace to shop for a home loan.
Thank you for explaining your experience, I think I would do the same once I have enough money to buy a home! Synthesizing is the key!
Mr. John Heathcliff, I dare say that your approach to researching content is very clear and to the point. Your research approach reminds me of the time when I had considered buying an automobile, using the internet sites. I had to visit different websites and compare their ads before I could decide to compromise on buying an automobile.
I recently graduated with my Masters degree and most of the discussion in this section on the reliability and credibility of sources refreshed my mind about the importance of picking peer-reviewed academic journals such as JSTOR, which is my favorite database entry whenever I search for an article. My academic experience has helped me realized the importance of searching for peer-reviewed articles in ".org, .edu," websites and databases. I think this section in particular should be encouraged by anyone who is interested in research and knowledge in general.
Congratulations on attaining your Masters! I am a big fan of the .org and .edu sites as well. I think that you make a good assessment that this information should be dispensed to those in the research and education fields. But I think that everyone would benefit from this information. It is so easy for everyday people to be swayed by an articulate, emotive story or presentation. Unfortunately, people take that without considering why that person was doing that, who paid them, how much they paid them, etc, etc. Obviously it is an ideal for everyone to have such knowledge. Thus, your comment is far more practical. But I would like to encourage anyone who cares about anything to think about their sources in critical ways so that they can actually be that much closer to the truth which is what I think that they are ultimately seeking.
Considering my experiences, I have used hardcover documents from libraries. I have also used credible
periodical journals on specific issue for paper.
It is useful for me because the reports that are.found in are not biased to me. The credibility that I have invested into the sources are of trust.
periodical journals on specific issue for paper.
It is useful for me because the reports that are.found in are not biased to me. The credibility that I have invested into the sources are of trust.
Excellent that you are utilizing these sources for the work that you create! It's good/comforting to know that the sources that we use have been through a rigorous process to vet out biases; although, we can be sure that some biases still creep through the cracks.
When I first started looking for information on research topics, I would go to all the wrong places (so it seems now looking back with hindsight). Where there are controversial topics or where there is money to be made, someone is there claiming to be unbiased but totally having an agenda. Therefore, I eventually learned about peer-review and scholarly journals, articles, and books.
Knowing the peer-review process as described in those videos is very helpful. I knew it was rigorous, but didn't realize the rejection rate of articles to a journal. I don't know that it's a perfect system, but it is working well and keeps out a ton of simply terrible material. It is wonderful to be able to rely on our institutions to produce cutting-edge, important scholarly work.
Knowing the peer-review process as described in those videos is very helpful. I knew it was rigorous, but didn't realize the rejection rate of articles to a journal. I don't know that it's a perfect system, but it is working well and keeps out a ton of simply terrible material. It is wonderful to be able to rely on our institutions to produce cutting-edge, important scholarly work.
I totally agree Jayne. The system may not be perfect, but it works!
By understanding the author's background and potential biases, you can make more informed decisions about the credibility of their information. Remember, no single strategy is foolproof, but using multiple methods like this one can significantly improve your ability to assess the quality of the information you encounter.
The reliability of the source could be determined by the author's background. Researching about the author and review their previous work allow a subtle understanding about the reliability of the work.
With social media-specifically speaking about Tik Tok and Instagram- there is a lot of information being told to the user. This information has the potential to be credible but I believe that a lot of the information is subjective and is coming from people who aren't in authority and that can be incredibly harmful.
Completly agree. I believe that most individuals are unaware of the sphere of influence they have, particularly over social media platforms.
In daily basis when I´m doing a research, I always look for the date when it was published, from whom, the resources of the publisher and if the publisher is an expertise in the subject. Understanding if it was current information and have or not have any bias.
This is a really good point; making sure to check the date of relevancy is so important!
When researching for my history project, I encountered conflicting information online. Employing the "Check the Author's Credentials" strategy would have been helpful. Knowing the author's expertise and background could have clarified the reliability of the sources and guided me towards more trustworthy information.
When it comes to finding and assessing sources, one strategy that has been incredibly helpful for me is the practice of cross-referencing information from multiple sources. I recall a situation where I was conducting research for a term paper in college. I found a seemingly well-written article online that perfectly aligned with my topic. However, before citing it in my paper, I decided to cross-reference the information with other sources to ensure its credibility.
To my surprise, upon further investigation, I discovered that the article was published on a website known for promoting biased and unreliable information. Had I not cross-referenced the information, I might have unknowingly included inaccurate data in my paper, which could have negatively impacted my academic credibility.
This experience taught me the importance of verifying information from multiple reputable sources before accepting it as accurate. It also highlighted the significance of critically evaluating the credibility of each source, considering factors such as author expertise, publication date, and potential biases.
In the discussion forum, I would share this experience to emphasize the importance of cross-referencing sources in research. I would encourage fellow students to adopt this strategy to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the information they use in their academic work. Additionally, I would be interested in hearing about other students' experiences with finding and assessing sources and learning from their strategies and insights. Engaging in discussions like these allows us to collectively improve our research skills and produce higher-quality work.
To my surprise, upon further investigation, I discovered that the article was published on a website known for promoting biased and unreliable information. Had I not cross-referenced the information, I might have unknowingly included inaccurate data in my paper, which could have negatively impacted my academic credibility.
This experience taught me the importance of verifying information from multiple reputable sources before accepting it as accurate. It also highlighted the significance of critically evaluating the credibility of each source, considering factors such as author expertise, publication date, and potential biases.
In the discussion forum, I would share this experience to emphasize the importance of cross-referencing sources in research. I would encourage fellow students to adopt this strategy to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the information they use in their academic work. Additionally, I would be interested in hearing about other students' experiences with finding and assessing sources and learning from their strategies and insights. Engaging in discussions like these allows us to collectively improve our research skills and produce higher-quality work.
I agree cross referencing sources is pivotal in providing accurate information. It also forces the writer to challenge their own bias and see different points of view. This would provide a well rounded approach to presenting information.
One of the strategies I used to evaluate my sources in a previous class was to look for the articles published by University institutions, or with the “.edu” TLD. By doing this, my sources were able to give the claim in my article a stronger argument behind it.
Thanks for the .edu trick, i didn't know about that!
From my own experience, using my school's database of peer-reviewed articles has been very helpful. I also make sure a web address has ".org" ".edu" or ".gov" to make sure it is reliable.
In reply to Emma E Wellington
Re: Discussion: Finding and Assessing Sources
by Ashley Steigerwaldt -
Good point! Using sources such as .org or .edu is helpful for me as well.
Working in education, peer-reviewed information sources is critical in offering students accurate and reliable lesson material.
I create powerpoint presentations for work to kick off sales campaigns. I often utilize the internet to come up with different ideas to support the tactics I am presenting. I was not using ADAM and feel by utilizing those questions I would be able to feel my sources are credible.
Considering my own experience with finding and assessing sources, I would say I most often seek out peer-reviewed sources or sources from a trustworthy database. I have only ever sought out sources digitally and often use a database provided by my school. I find that using notable databases of legitimized sources that have been peer-reviewed and fact-checked is a foolproof way to find helpful sources.
Same and 100% agree
Finding and assessing sources is an essential skill in academia and beyond, particularly in today's information-rich yet sometimes unreliable landscape. One valuable strategy is the CRAAP Test. This approach involves evaluating sources based on several criteria:
First, currency—determining the timeliness of the information by checking its publication or update date. The relevance of a source to your research question is another key consideration, ensuring it directly addresses your needs. Authority is then assessed by evaluating the credibility of the author or publisher, considering their expertise and reputation. Accuracy involves scrutinizing the reliability and truthfulness of the information, ensuring it is supported by credible evidence and free from bias. Finally, purpose is examined to understand any potential bias or motivations behind the source's creation.
The CRAAP Test offers a structured method for assessing sources, aiding researchers in making informed decisions about their credibility and relevance. Through this systematic evaluation, individuals can better discern the quality of sources and avoid reliance on unreliable or biased information.
In my own experience, applying the CRAAP Test has proven invaluable in selecting sources for research papers or projects. This approach helps me avoid using sources that, while initially credible, may lack authority, accuracy, or relevance upon closer examination. By employing this strategy, I save time and effort, ensuring that the sources I utilize are reliable, trustworthy, and directly contribute to the strength of my arguments or analyses.
First, currency—determining the timeliness of the information by checking its publication or update date. The relevance of a source to your research question is another key consideration, ensuring it directly addresses your needs. Authority is then assessed by evaluating the credibility of the author or publisher, considering their expertise and reputation. Accuracy involves scrutinizing the reliability and truthfulness of the information, ensuring it is supported by credible evidence and free from bias. Finally, purpose is examined to understand any potential bias or motivations behind the source's creation.
The CRAAP Test offers a structured method for assessing sources, aiding researchers in making informed decisions about their credibility and relevance. Through this systematic evaluation, individuals can better discern the quality of sources and avoid reliance on unreliable or biased information.
In my own experience, applying the CRAAP Test has proven invaluable in selecting sources for research papers or projects. This approach helps me avoid using sources that, while initially credible, may lack authority, accuracy, or relevance upon closer examination. By employing this strategy, I save time and effort, ensuring that the sources I utilize are reliable, trustworthy, and directly contribute to the strength of my arguments or analyses.
In reply to Michael Starnes
Re: Discussion: Finding and Assessing Sources
Hi Michael,
Thank you for sharing your experience.
The CRAAP test is certainly an excellent strategy for evaluating sources; thanks for pointing that out.
It seems to be more thorough than the ADAM approach, as it includes a purpose test, which the latter lacks.
Regards,
Vinicius
Thank you for sharing your experience.
The CRAAP test is certainly an excellent strategy for evaluating sources; thanks for pointing that out.
It seems to be more thorough than the ADAM approach, as it includes a purpose test, which the latter lacks.
Regards,
Vinicius
Completely agree! The CRAAP Test has been a game changer for me too ~ it's amazing how much it can help clarify the credibility and relevance of sources, and save time in the long run.
Personally I would not use social media as any kind of source. Up to date news can be found on any reputable news' website. It has become increasingly easier to create accounts masquerading as authorities these days.
I am a huge fan of Wikipedia as a starting point. While it is hard to keep bias out of the articles, the bibliographies can be invaluable. They can lead to many great sources I would not have thought to seek out.
The ADAM Approach is a great way to access sources. This will be extremely helpful in ensuring that the sources procruded in the future are realiable and creditable.
Brianna, Agreed and I see the "A" for age being an extremely important part of the ADAM approach to ensure the information found is still current.
Jamie, agreed. Especially in fields that are ever changing with advances in technologies and new methods of data collection. An article or study from the early 2000's may not be relevant when compared to one from the last 5 or 10 years.
I start with international organisations, then try and search for more specific items. Sometimes very difficult. ChatGPT also can be used to refine your search.
Considering my own experiences with finding and assessing sources I always checked if the information is trustworthy and reliable to avoid any conflicts.
For me on assessing and finding sources I would look into sources that have a consensus of people that agree about the topic at hand. Opinions change all time. It never hurts to keep an open mind on the concept of having to change an opinion
The internet being a common tool by the time I entered middle school meant that a lot of these tools for evaluating sources were taught to me young. How to use google properly to generate the results I was looking for, and the different the domain endings (.gov, .edu, etc.) and how they may help in determining the type of information and where it was coming from. Then in college writing papers for scientific major meant finding and analyzing a lot of peer reviewed journal articles.
When I was in school, I referenced journals and newspaper on film at the library. No access to the internet like we do now.
Love a good acronym-ADAM Approach will now forever be ingrained in my head when looking at sources.
In the course of my higher education, the need for credible sources is necessary. In order to write concise, convincing, and compelling work, you must pull from credible sources. I have used non-credible sources to add humor to an informal paper, but in a professional or academic setting it is a requirement. Even in these discussion forums, quoting material from reliable and credible sources provides a stronger impact to the post, and and clarity to reader.
In reply to First post
Re: Discussion: Finding and Assessing Sources
In the era of social media, strategies for evaluating sources are fundamental. Even on Wikipedia, always check the references section. I just have a slight disagreement with the approach to self-published content. In my opinion, much open-source content has great credibility. Take ArchWiki's credibility, for example. I think it's a highly credible source of information, even though it's not validated by any third parties.
Cross-referencing information from multiple sources works best for me. Minimim 3 sources.
In one instance, I was instructed to create a research paper covering the familial consequence of WAR-related PTSD. The advice regarding the search query would have helped save me a lot of time as well as narrow down the minute aspects of my research paper. It would've given me more material to work with as well.
I agree with you hear. I feel that research paper will always come with a lot of work. I feel like when working with research paper its often difficult to find one site or one place that will have every piece of information u may need. As I stated in a previous post sometimes the more information the better. I feel like if we were knowledgeable on some of these methods it would have made writing paper so much easier.
Oftentimes when I search something the first few results that come up are all advertised. I often have searches come up that only feeds the confirmation bias. When I turn off my location and get the result from US location by default, I realize how much manipulation happens when it comes to information publishing. I get completely different results in different location.
That's why I usually look more down toward and always always think twice even when I see something I agree with.
Confirmation bias is so real.
That's why I usually look more down toward and always always think twice even when I see something I agree with.
Confirmation bias is so real.
Hey there!
Your observations about online searches completely resonate with me. It's frustrating when the top results seem to be more about advertising than actual relevance. And you're spot on about confirmation bias creeping in through search results tailored to our location or past behaviors.
Your observations about online searches completely resonate with me. It's frustrating when the top results seem to be more about advertising than actual relevance. And you're spot on about confirmation bias creeping in through search results tailored to our location or past behaviors.
In reply to First post
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Oh I totally agree with you by wanting to use one source or site that will provide everything you need right in one place. Often times writing paper can be overwhelming. When I was getting my associates in Criminal Justice I tried not to use more than 5 to 6 sources because sometimes everything was not in one place and it was overwhelming but it allowed me to get the job done. I feel like certain paper require you to use more sources such as research papers. I feel like paper based off just what you know or the textbook for a particular course requires less going back and forth finding creditable sources.
First, I am going to start off by saying how I find my information depends on what type of paper I am needing to write. When I was obtaining my Associates in Criminal Justice we had to write several paper and I remember for our final we had to complete a paper about a serial killer. I chose to talk about the Zodiac Killer because it seems like they had information on the individual but never found and arrested the individual responsible for the killing. Finding the needed information seemed easy but making sure that everything I was speaking about was factual was creditable was most important to me. I ended up using 6-10 creditable sources that I knew would be accurate because I double checked and verified the same information within out sites that I had been using. Newspaper articles, report from journalist that had been covering the case for years ,and also shows that may be found on different investigation channels. I decided to go with using domain creditable sites when completing my paper because I knew when speaking about the zodiac killer I would need to be as accurate as possible. I did watch a couple of podcasters speak about the zodiac killer and I only found one podcaster to have proof from sites that they had got their information from, but again I wanted to make sure everything that I did decide to use was going to hold weight and not put any false information out.
When assessing sources, a strategy I've found particularly beneficial is examining the author's expertise and credentials in the field. By delving into the author's background, such as their qualifications, affiliations, and experience relevant to the topic, it provides a solid foundation for evaluating the reliability and credibility of the information presented. This strategy allows me to gauge whether the author possesses the necessary knowledge and authority to speak on the subject matter, thereby helping to ensure the accuracy and trustworthiness of the source.
Checking their credentials is an excellent idea!
I have used a few of the sources mentioned to write an essay. Fortunately, I was lucky to gain access to peer-reviewed journal articles through my local library. This allowed me to research multiple sites in sifting out the articles I found bias. So, if you’d like to save yourself some money and even time; sign-up for a library card to utilize their resources for free. Good luck.
I believe that cross reference and peer reviews are very beneficial sources outside of all of your online and scholarly published sources. Not only do you pick up on things that you have missed that they have pointed out, but they can also tell you if information seems to be incorrect according to their research as well.
A few years ago, I was researching a controversial topic for a paper. As I delved into various sources, I encountered conflicting information from different sources, making it challenging to discern which perspective was more accurate and reliable. In this situation, I found that cross-referencing sources was a crucial strategy for evaluating the credibility of the information. By comparing information from multiple sources, I was able to identify common themes and discrepancies, which helped me assess the reliability and validity of the information presented. For example, I came across a statistic regarding the prevalence of a particular phenomenon, but it seemed unusually high compared to other estimates I had seen. To verify its accuracy, I cross-referenced it with data from reputable organizations and academic studies. Through this process, I discovered that the original statistic was inflated due to a methodological flaw in the study it was based on, highlighting the importance of critically evaluating sources.
I've used JSTOR back in high school and still used it in community college, it's been one of the most valuable things in my education.
I agree - JSTOR was introduced to me in high school as well, and I have referred back to it in my current studies.
When writing research papers, or citing sources, I tend to rely on peer-reviewed works. This is always a reliable method for me, and often times leads me to find more sources. I use Google searches sometimes to help with a starting point.
When researching mental health resources for a friend, I realized the importance of critically evaluating sources. I encountered a website claiming to offer expert advice, but the author lacked mental health credentials. Using the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) would have helped me evaluate the source more effectively. I learned that checking author credentials and bias is crucial to ensure reliable information. I'll apply this strategy in future research to make more informed decisions.
I couldn't agree with you more! Knowing how crucial it is to have a peer reviewed source.
Throughout high school research assignments I used magazines and articles for most of my sources and was almost always penalized for not using credible sources. Understanding a scholarly information source would have helped me tremendously. It also helps to understand how to evaluate information sources that were never published. I would have greatly benefited from these tricks.
With my experience on looking for credible sources, I have mainly used to strategy of looking at peer-reviewed articles. This was often a strategy that was highly suggested by my past teachers. However, I wish I knew more about the strategy of reviewing the authors C.V/resume. This strategy would have been useful for me in the past so that I could review the authors of some articles I was hesitant about.
Already being using scholarly articles but this chapter made me aware of more useful articles search
Using the ADAM approach would have made my sources stronger for one of my reports in college. For example, we had to do a paper on a case study regarding increasing membership at a nonprofit. Three sources were the minimum and they had to be peer reviewed. While I used some of the approaches from ADAM, using all of them in a systematic way would have been a more streamlined process to ensure strong and relevant sources for my report.
using the ADAM approach could have greatly enhanced the strength of your sources for your college report. Focusing on an organized and systematic application of all the elements of the ADAM approach would have likely providedned process for a more streamliensuring the relevance and strength of your sources. It's always beneficial to reflect on past experiences and consider ways to improve for future projects. Great post Odile!
When I was writing a research paper on climate change, I came across a website that claimed to have scientific data supporting climate change denial. At first, the website looked professional and convincing, but I was skeptical because it didn't seem credible. I decided to use the strategy of checking the author's credentials and affiliations. I looked up the authors of the website and found that they were not climate scientists but rather had affiliations with organizations known to promote anti-climate change agendas. This strategy was helpful in assessing the credibility of the source and helped me realize that the information was likely biased and unreliable.
In my recent research project on the effects of social media on mental health, encountered a variety of sources that ranged from academic articles to personal blogs. One strategy that proved incredibly helpful in evaluating these sources was the emphasis on utilizing peer-reviewed literature.
During my search, I came across an article on a popular health blog that discussed the correlation between excessive social media use and anxiety. While the blog post was engaging and had a lot of anecdotal evidence, I knew I needed to find more reliable data to support my arguments. This is where the emphasis on peer-reviewed sources came into play. When I shifted my focus to finding peer-reviewed articles through databases like JSTOR, I found several studies conducted by researchers in psychology and sociology. These articles provided empirical data, rigorous methodologies, and had undergone scrutiny by experts in the field. For instance, one study analyzed social media usage patterns among adolescents and their reported levels of anxiety and depression. This kind of evidence was crucial for substantiating my thesis. Additionally, reviewing these peer-reviewed articles allowed me to assess the strengths and limitations of the research. The studies often included discussions about sample sizes, potential biases, and areas for further research, which helped me understand the broader context of the topic.
In conclusion, the strategy of prioritizing peer-reviewed sources not only enhanced the credibility of my work but also enriched my understanding of the subject matter. It taught me the importance of relying on thoroughly vetted information, especially when addressing complex issues like mental health.
One of the strategies that would've helped in High school and through college is the ADAM Approach. It's catchy and very helpful. That would have made finding credible sources a lot easier.
I try and grab as many sources as, and then try and find a common thread in between them all
In my own experience, I find it best to use credible online platforms with official .edu or .gov endings.
Here’s a shorter version:
One effective strategy for evaluating sources is checking the author’s credibility. In a past project, I encountered conflicting information and found that authors with relevant expertise offered more reliable insights. This approach helps filter out misinformation and ensures you’re relying on trustworthy sources, improving the quality of your research.
One effective strategy for evaluating sources is checking the author’s credibility. In a past project, I encountered conflicting information and found that authors with relevant expertise offered more reliable insights. This approach helps filter out misinformation and ensures you’re relying on trustworthy sources, improving the quality of your research.
Ensuring to cross reference sources when dealing with non-academic articles has been essential to gathering an accurate analysis of a given subject. Not putting my trust into websites like Wikipedia and instead using them to inform myself of the broad strokes of a topic and direct my research to more specialised, reputable sources has proven highly valuable.
Cross referencing is very important when using online sources.
When finding and assessing sources, checking the credibility of the author and publication has been very helpful. For example, while preparing content for social media at my current position, I needed to ensure that health tips were accurate. I came across an article but found the author wasn't a certified expert, and the site had a history of misinformation. This strategy prevented me from sharing unreliable information. It reinforced the importance of evaluating sources to maintain trust and accuracy in my work.
I didn't know about the ADAM. There's no wonder why my research paper has been disapproved. LOL.
I actively use peer reviewed sources daily, and I am very conscious of questioning the reliability, validity, authority and accuracy of sources, and the way that weak sources are often used to justify weak or primarily emotive arguments. So I use all of these techniques on a regular basis.
Considering my experience with finding and assessing sources, I do like to use the CRAAP method to evaluate potential sources. The CRAAP method is something I recently learned about in a public speaking class. The CRAAP acronym stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
Forum Post: Evaluating Sources Through Personal Experience
In today’s digital age, evaluating the credibility of sources is more critical than ever. I’d like to share a personal experience and discuss how one particular strategy for assessing sources was instrumental in ensuring the reliability of the information I used.
Personal Experience: Evaluating Source Credibility
A few years ago, while working on a research paper about climate change, I encountered a variety of sources online, ranging from academic articles to blog posts. One blog post I found claimed to offer a “revolutionary” new perspective on climate change that contradicted well-established scientific consensus. Intrigued, I needed to determine whether this source was reliable or just another example of misinformation.
Strategy for Evaluating Sources: Checking Author Credentials
One of the key strategies I employed was checking the author’s credentials. This strategy proved incredibly helpful in assessing the credibility of the source. Here’s how I applied it:
Author Background: I researched the author’s background to understand their qualifications and expertise in climate science. I found that the author of the blog post had no formal training in environmental science or related fields. In contrast, the academic articles I was referencing were authored by climate scientists with years of research and professional experience.
Publication Reputation: I also looked into where the blog post was published. The blog lacked affiliation with reputable scientific organizations or academic institutions, whereas the academic articles were published in peer-reviewed journals with rigorous review processes.
Cross-Verification: To further verify, I cross-referenced the claims made in the blog post with those found in established scientific literature and reports from credible institutions like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The blog’s claims were not supported by any reputable sources, and the information was inconsistent with the broader scientific consensus.
Reflections and Discussion
This strategy of checking author credentials and publication reputation was pivotal in ensuring the credibility of my sources. It helped me avoid incorporating unreliable information into my research paper and reinforced the importance of relying on experts in the field.
In your experiences with finding and assessing sources, how have strategies like evaluating author credentials, checking publication reputation, or cross-referencing information impacted your research? Have you found other strategies particularly useful or challenging? Share your thoughts and experiences!
Responding to Other Students’ Posts
Student A’s Post: “I’ve often relied on cross-referencing information from multiple sources, but I find it challenging to determine which sources are genuinely credible.”
Response: Cross-referencing is a great strategy to validate information. It’s helpful to use a mix of sources, especially those from recognized experts or institutions. Have you considered looking at the credentials of the authors and the reputation of the publications as additional ways to gauge credibility?
Student B’s Post: “I usually check the publication date to ensure the information is up-to-date. However, I’ve struggled with distinguishing between credible and non-credible sources.”
Response: Checking the publication date is indeed important, especially in rapidly evolving fields. To further assess credibility, you might also look into the author’s background and the source’s affiliation. This can help you evaluate whether the information is not only current but also reliable.
By sharing and discussing these strategies, we can all improve our skills in finding and assessing sources, leading to more robust and credible research outcomes.
In today’s digital age, evaluating the credibility of sources is more critical than ever. I’d like to share a personal experience and discuss how one particular strategy for assessing sources was instrumental in ensuring the reliability of the information I used.
Personal Experience: Evaluating Source Credibility
A few years ago, while working on a research paper about climate change, I encountered a variety of sources online, ranging from academic articles to blog posts. One blog post I found claimed to offer a “revolutionary” new perspective on climate change that contradicted well-established scientific consensus. Intrigued, I needed to determine whether this source was reliable or just another example of misinformation.
Strategy for Evaluating Sources: Checking Author Credentials
One of the key strategies I employed was checking the author’s credentials. This strategy proved incredibly helpful in assessing the credibility of the source. Here’s how I applied it:
Author Background: I researched the author’s background to understand their qualifications and expertise in climate science. I found that the author of the blog post had no formal training in environmental science or related fields. In contrast, the academic articles I was referencing were authored by climate scientists with years of research and professional experience.
Publication Reputation: I also looked into where the blog post was published. The blog lacked affiliation with reputable scientific organizations or academic institutions, whereas the academic articles were published in peer-reviewed journals with rigorous review processes.
Cross-Verification: To further verify, I cross-referenced the claims made in the blog post with those found in established scientific literature and reports from credible institutions like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The blog’s claims were not supported by any reputable sources, and the information was inconsistent with the broader scientific consensus.
Reflections and Discussion
This strategy of checking author credentials and publication reputation was pivotal in ensuring the credibility of my sources. It helped me avoid incorporating unreliable information into my research paper and reinforced the importance of relying on experts in the field.
In your experiences with finding and assessing sources, how have strategies like evaluating author credentials, checking publication reputation, or cross-referencing information impacted your research? Have you found other strategies particularly useful or challenging? Share your thoughts and experiences!
Responding to Other Students’ Posts
Student A’s Post: “I’ve often relied on cross-referencing information from multiple sources, but I find it challenging to determine which sources are genuinely credible.”
Response: Cross-referencing is a great strategy to validate information. It’s helpful to use a mix of sources, especially those from recognized experts or institutions. Have you considered looking at the credentials of the authors and the reputation of the publications as additional ways to gauge credibility?
Student B’s Post: “I usually check the publication date to ensure the information is up-to-date. However, I’ve struggled with distinguishing between credible and non-credible sources.”
Response: Checking the publication date is indeed important, especially in rapidly evolving fields. To further assess credibility, you might also look into the author’s background and the source’s affiliation. This can help you evaluate whether the information is not only current but also reliable.
By sharing and discussing these strategies, we can all improve our skills in finding and assessing sources, leading to more robust and credible research outcomes.
One of the strategies in this section that has been beneficial is checking if the source has been written by a person or has been generated. There are many ways to check this most of them involving searching for more information about the author and checking the style of the writing to make sure that sources are used throughout the text.
It has become hard to access the truth on internet. And as I do not pick research articles that often for my studies, I go through various publications of well-known media houses available on internet. For which, I myself have preferred every time to have a look on the author and if there is any particular agenda which the website is promoting implicitly.
In my experience with finding and assessing sources, the strategy of cross-referencing information has proven to be incredibly helpful. For instance, when I researched the impact of social media on mental health for a presentation, I initially relied on a popular article that provided a compelling overview but left me uncertain about its claims. To ensure the information was credible, I cross-referenced it with academic journals and reports from recognized mental health organizations. This process revealed a more nuanced picture: while some claims were supported by solid research, others were exaggerated or insufficiently backed by empirical evidence. By looking at multiple sources, I was able to present a more balanced perspective in my presentation and effectively address potential counterarguments. This experience underscored the importance of not taking information at face value and highlighted how crucial it is to validate claims through rigorous evaluation.
I would say for my own experience it is looking for celebrity gossip. I will say in my free time I like to dig into things and just see what is going on. I noticed and had to find out that not all gossip sites are true. I believed everything posted was real and would take their word and use to have discussions. I then learned finding reputable sources was important and how incorrect information could truly impact someone's life and lively hood.
Whenever I find a source for information, regardless of the context, I always assess the source for validity and author experience. I have searched for many things over my career and have found that just because someone writes an article, book, or post, they do not always have the experience to know the details of what they are writing about.
I had an ex once send me an article about how undocumented immigrants were going to get access to free loans or money to use to buy property under a new California law that was either being proposed or was on its way to being passed. It only took me five minutes to read the article and see the real explanation of the law to understand he was being entirely mislead and manipulated. This website was not a reliable source, they didn’t do due diligence in explaining the law and clearly had an agenda of angering their viewer base. The new law gave Americans under the DACA program the ability to one day own property with a delayed interest loan. There was no free money and it’s a program structured by a loan agency that would benefit financially from this arrangement. There was no free money being given to anyone. My ex just automatically believed what he read and did not do any assessment or investigation of the article he was reading and sending to other people.
When finding and assessing sources, it is helpful to use a database that helps you refine search results for peer-reviewed results only. It's also important to consider when the source was published since some topics require the most up-to-date information, such as when researching the latest medical techniques or technology. However, sometimes it can be hard to find exactly what you're looking for so it's important to learn how to properly search to yield the most relevant sources you are looking for.
It's important to assess your sources when you find them because if your sources are invalid, you can end up embarrassing yourself when you don't have all of your facts. This has happened to me a couple of times where I had gotten into an argument and the other person debunked my statements with pure logic. I had to stop and research my points in order to come up with valid arguments so I didn't feel foolish. So, always research your points before presenting them to have a solid argument.
Thanks for that
Specifically, the advice on the validity of a source (looking for the curriculum vitae) is SUPER helpful. It would make debate much easier, as it is a clear way for me to find good sources for cards. Also, the reliability and authority advice is good for comparing cards, which also makes debate much easier.
onsidering my own experience with finding and assessing sources, I would say I most often seek out peer-reviewed sources or sources from a trustworthy database. I have only ever sought out sources digitally and often use a database provided by my school. I find that using notable databases of legitimized sources that have been peer-reviewed and fact-checked is a foolproof way to find helpful sources.
The CRAAP method is a method I return to again and again. The internet & social media constantly provide misinformation that is often times politically charged. I've recently come across edited information about certain celebrities and their stances on political candidates. I've used this method to help share with others why this information is incorrect and provided sources of how I know.
Finding and assessing sources has been essential in my studies, especially in my Communication and Media major, where understanding media literacy and source reliability is critical. One strategy that stands out to me is evaluating the author’s credibility. I realized its importance while working on a piece about AI and ethics in marketing. Initially, I came across a few credible articles, but a closer look at the authors’ backgrounds showed they were less experienced in the field. By cross-referencing with more reliable sources, like academic journals and industry experts, I can ensure that the information I use have depth and accuracy.
By understanding the author's background and potential biases, you can make more informed decisions about the credibility of their information. Remember, no single strategy is foolproof, but using multiple methods like this one can significantly improve your ability to assess the quality of the information you encounter.