What Is Credible Information?
Today we face an onslaught of information. We must work to be savvy information consumers, so we do not fall victim to the pitfalls of disinformation and the spreading of misinformation. This means building up a tool-belt of habits and awareness that can help you to identify not only misinformation or disinformation but also what reliable and credible information looks like in comparison.
Here are a few tips and resources to help you build up this critical skill set moving forward so you can navigate the information matrix with a more thoughtful and discerning eye!
Identify the SOURCE of the information
- Always ask yourself the who, what, when, where, why, about a source!
- What type of source is it? (op-ed, investigative, satire, journal, endorsed report etc.)
- When was it created? (check the date)
- Where was it created? (check the location of origin)
- Who created this information? (who's the author/publisher)
- Is it a credible source? (what's the reputation of the source)
- What sources do they cite? (are those reputable)
- What are the economic or political affiliations?
- What are their interests in publishing this information?
- Why was it created, and who is the intended audience?
- Who does this information help or harm?
If you are not sure of the answer, make Angela Lansbury proud and get sleuthing to find out!
Does the evidence being used to make a claim actually back up the claim?
- What evidence is provided to support the claims? What is the source of the evidence? Is it trustworthy? That is to say, does it come from a source that has a history of being accurate, vetted, and well-researched? Does the evidence directly relate to the claim the source makes? Does this evidence hold up when looking at the full scope of information across reliable sources? Based on your answers to all these questions, how strong is the evidence for the claim being made?
Do your lateral investigation and reading!!
- This means working to verify a claim.
- What are other reputable sources and outlets saying about this issue or claim?
- Seek out different sources beyond the original claim or source of information to see if the evidence is adding up across the literature.
- Are other credible sources confirming or rejecting the claim or information using reliable evidence? Think about how other evidence impacts and weighs against the original source's claim.
Get familiar with reliable and credible information
- Get familiar with how to find peer-reviewed, expert, academic sources, reliable news sources, databases, and expertise that have a strong track record of being accurate in how they articulate events and information using reliable evidence and sources in their reporting or tracking of data.
The following links are to help expand your tool belt, so you don't perpetuate disinformation and misinformation in your own work or in society.
UNESCO has put out a comprehensive handbook written by experts in the fight against disinformation
Click on the link below to access the free handbook. English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Portuguese, and Russian versions are available.
More About PEER-REVIEWED Sources
As a student moving through university and the academic process, you will be engaging in research and writing that will require scholarly--academic--expert--peer-reviewed sources. Peer-reviewed sources mean there has been a vetting process of the claims, information, and evidence used in the research by other experts in the field.
This is not to say the peer-reviewed process is perfect. There are indeed some flaws. However, sources drawn from well established, scholarly, peer-reviewed journals are generally considered trustworthy, reliable, and hold merit based on meaningful evidence.
When you are writing a paper for a class you are generally expected to utilize some peer-reviewed sources to help anchor and support the claims or argument you are seeking to make. To get a better understanding of the peer-review process, how it works, what it means, why it's important, and the strengths and weaknesses of the peer review process, please click on the following link.