LibGuides: English: But Can I Trust It?

Introduction

With some sources, credibility and trustworthiness is easy to determine. With others, it's not so easy. This page will give you some advice and tools you can use to make a determination of a source's trustworthiness. Remember that if you are in doubt, you can always reach out to a friendly librarian for assistance.

Two Questions To Ask

Who wrote it?

What puts them in a position to reliably assure you that they know what they are talking about?

How can I confirm what they are saying?

Do they cite other sources or quote other experts? Do they back up their opinions with facts and the means to verify those facts? (Or can the facts be verified through other sources?) Does their publication have a history of sound editorial judgment, verifying facts, and retracting/correcting errors?

Credibility Tests

Librarians and other information professionals have come up with many tests over the years to try and help students and other researchers determine credibility. While these is no test that can be 100% accurate, these resources can still help you determine whether or not a source is trustworthy.

The CRAAP Test
Short for Currency, Relievance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose, the CRAAP test has been around for a long time. It was originally developed by librarians at the the University of California - Chico libraries.
The SMELL Test
Designed primarily to help students evaluate online resources, the SMELL test asks questions related to the Source, their Motivation, the Evidence provided, Logic, and what information might be Left Out.