As you become more comfortable withevaluating the reliability of sources, you willnotice that all sources have limitations, even if they are mostly trustworthy.
To achieve your best marks in evaluating reliability, you need to demonstrate a sophisticated evaluation of historical sources by providing both reasons FOR trusting a source, and also some reasons AGAINST trusting the source.
These are sometimes called the 'values' and 'limitations' of a source.
Please remember, that even though you are providing positives and negatives about the reliability of a source, you still need to come to a judgment about how reliable it is, despite its values and limitations.
Each of the examples below demonstrate sophisticated evaluation of reliability by identifying somevalues and limitations of sources, while still drawing a clear judgment about its trustworthiness.
Demonstratinga sophisticated evaluation of reliability in your writing:
Plutarch wrote his biography of Julius Caesar over a century after the events he describes, which calls into question the accuracy of the details he provides. However, he drew upon a number of personal documents written by Caesar himself, which increases the trustworthiness of his account. Therefore, despite the concern about the date of its creation, this source is still quite a reliable source about the life of Julius Caesar.
While Miller has a PhD, which seems to indicate that his interpretation can be trusted, it is worth noting that his post-graduate qualifications are in the field of Biology, not in Modern History, which is the topic he was discussing. As a result, Miller is not a very reliable source of informationabout the rise of Soviet Russia.
Goebbels' personal diary isa valuablerecord ofhisbeliefs and honest thoughts about the rise of the Nazi party in the 1920s, as he consistently wrote his entries at the end of each day. It must be noted that he was a devoted member of Hitler's inner circle, and due to that fact, his writing onlycontains the uncritical reproduction of Nazi propaganda from the time. This significantly decreases the likelihood of it being a trustworthy account of what really occurred at the time.
FAQs
It is important to be able to identify which sources are credible. This ability requires an understanding of depth, objectivity, currency, authority, and purpose. Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors.
How do you evaluate reliability of evidence? ›
To evaluate evidence for credibility, accuracy, and reliability, consider the following questions:
- Who/what is the source of the evidence? ...
- Is the evidence found in a primary or secondary source? ...
- How does the evidence from one source compare and contrast with the evidence from another source? ...
- How current is the evidence?
It is important to be able to identify which sources are credible. This ability requires an understanding of depth, objectivity, currency, authority, and purpose. Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors.
What determines the reliability of sources of data? ›
You want to look for data sources that are objective, logical, and well-supported by evidence and reasoning. For example, you can examine the claims, the evidence, the warrants, and the conclusions that the data source makes. You can also identify any fallacies, biases, or errors in the argument.
How do you evaluate reliable sources? ›
That criteria are as follows:
- Authority: Who is the author? What are their credentials? ...
- Accuracy: Compare the author's information to that which you already know is reliable. ...
- Coverage: Is the information relevant to your topic and does it meet your needs? ...
- Currency: Is your topic constantly evolving?
There are a few ways to evaluate reliability across samples, including splitting the sample group measurements into two groups and comparing them. Researchers can also compare several data points within a measurement or assessment that should correlate to see how they compare.
What is the best way to check the reliability and validity of a source? ›
Determine the reliability and validity of articles by following a process very similar to evaluating books:
- Look at the author's credentials. For scholarly articles, this is usually pretty simple. ...
- Review the article's contents.
- Examine the evidence.
- Determine bias.
How do we assess reliability and validity?
- We can assess reliability by four ways: ...
- Parallel forms reliability. ...
- Correlation between two forms is used as the reliability index.
- Split-half reliability. ...
- Internal consistency reliability. ...
- This is called the Coefficient Alpha, also known as Cronbach Alpha. ...
- Validity.
The information should be up to date and current. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased. For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
How do you check the reliability of information? ›
The criteria are:
- Currency: Timeliness of the information.
- Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs.
- Authority: Source of the information.
- Accuracy: Truthfulness and correctness of the information.
- Purpose: Reason the information exists.
Evaluating a source by accuracy means that you are asking: Is the information provided correct? When considering accuracy, ask yourself the following questions: Has the source been edited or peer-reviewed? Has the author supplied a list of references for their work?
How do you evaluate the reliability of information you find on websites? ›
There are six (6) criteria that should be applied when evaluating any Web site: authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, coverage, and appearance.
How do you analyze sources for reliability? ›
When you find an information source, it's important to check who wrote it and who published it. This can give you clues about the credibility, expertise, and purpose of the source. Look for the author's name, credentials, affiliation, and contact information to determine if they are qualified to write about the topic.
What determines a reliable source? ›
A credible or reliable source is one where you can trust the information that the source provides. You can rely on the information provided within the source because the person, publisher, or institution that is providing this information is a credible source for that information.
How do I know if a site is credible? ›
A few key features that you need to consider are given below:
- Origin of the website. Check if the website is created by a trustworthy organization or author. ...
- Correctness. Validate the accuracy of the information stated against other reliable sources. ...
- Date the content was published or updated. ...
- Thoroughness.
4 ways to assess reliability in research
- Pick a consistent research method.
- Create a sample group and ensure the members are also consistent.
- Administer your test using the chosen method.
- Repeat the exact same testing process one or multiple times with the same sample group.
You can ask the following questions to determine if a source is credible.
- Who is the author? ...
- How recent is the source? ...
- What is the author's purpose? ...
- What type of sources does your audience value? ...
- Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources!
What are some strategies to critically analyze and compare different types of evidence?
- Identify the source.
- Examine the method.
- Compare the context.
- Assess the impact.
- Apply the criteria.
- Review the feedback.
- Evidence from those in the field who have spent many years studying the question is more likely to be reliable.
- Evidence from multiple independent sources is more likely to be reliable.
- Evidence from those who have no vested interest in the outcome of the research is more likely to be reliable.
