Evaluating the Reliability of Sources

1.   What is the source of the information being considered?

2.   List the factors that are relevant to the reliability of the source in the following categories:

• Publication
  Date - is the information current, or does it need to be current?
  Reputation of publication - is the source well known and  reputable?
  Kind of publication - is it a scientific report,   eye-witness account, a work of fiction?

• Author or Speaker
  Qualifications - is he an expert in his field?
  Bias - is he one-sided in his point-of-view?
  Values - what does the author value in regards to the topic?
  Chance for personal gain - does the author stand to benefit from his position?

• Consistency of Information
  Confirmation or corroboration - can anyone else make the same claims? 

• Means of Obtaining the Information
  Witness or researcher - was the author or speaker a first-hand witness to the information or did he gather it from some other source? 
  Equipment - what kind of equipment was used to record information?          

3.   Answer as many of the questions as you can, and determine if the answer would indicate a reliable source, an unreliable source, or an uncertainty for each.

4.   Weigh the factors present and your ratings of the evidence and make a reasoned judgment of reliability of the source.