To find out whether or not a source is credible, you must evaluate the source. In addition to answering the questions found in the What Makes a Source Credible section, you should also look closely at what the author is actually saying in the article. Read through the article and answer these questions about the content of the article to evaluate whether or not you think this article is a valid, credible source. Looking at the validity of the argument being made in the source is an important part of credibility because even if the source meets all of the criteria in the Authority, Accuracy, Currency, Coverage, and Objectivity sections, if the argument being made is not valid, not convincing, or poorly constructed, then the source itself is not credible.
Who is the intended audience (who would be the typical reader of the article)? Use the About Us section to learn more about the publication and see who might be a typical audience member. Does the author successfully reach this audience?
What is the genre of the argumentative essay (letter to the editor, magazine article, scientific report etc.) and why do you think the author chose this format? How does the genre of the piece contribute to (or detract from) the claim(s) the author is making?
What is the author’s main argument? Are there any other arguments he/she is making?
List all the evidence that you can identify that the author uses to support his argument. What are the main types of evidence (statistics, personal opinion, interviews, etc.) that the author relies on? Why do you feel the writer has chosen to use these sources? Is the evidence convincing for most of the audience?
Identify and explain counterarguments (the people who disagree with the author's point of view). Does the author prove why the counterarguments are incorrect? If no counterarguments are included, why do you think the author chose not to include them
Examine and discuss the rhetorical devices that the author uses such as illustrations and examples, the tone of the paper (emotional, detached, impassioned, matter-of-fact etc.) the organization of the paper, and stylistic decisions such as word choice, the inclusion of humor, illustrations, quotations or other literary devices.
What, if any, logical fallacies are there in this article? How do these fallacies, if present, affect the author's argument? Do they make it weaker or stronger? Do the fallacies make the article seem more or less credible? Why?
Finally, state whether or not the argument was convincing to you and tell why or why not. How, specifically, in your opinion, did the author make the argument effective or how, in your opinion, did he/she fail to make it effective?
Once you have answered all of these questions and the questions in the Authority, Accuracy, Currency, Coverage, and Objectivity sections, you can make a judgment on the credibility of the source.
Now that you're familiar with what makes a source credible, go to the Tutorial to practice determining credibility.