What are credible sources?
It is important to make sure the source of your reading is credible. Credible sources are places information comes from that are unbiased and trustworthy. If you trust the place you get your reading from, you can trust what you read to be true.
Is my reading credible?
The internet is a tricky place to navigate. There is more misinformation than true information on the internet. You cannot google something and expect what you find to be true.
Many sites are not credible. Almost anyone can start a website, so it is possible the information you are getting is not credible.- What is the website about - read the mission statement or ‘about’ section.
- Where does the website come from - is the website hosted by a university?
- Who is the author - what is the author’s credentials?
- When was it published and last updated - is the information current?
- Does it have references?
How to Find Credible Sources
One way to find a credible piece of nonfiction is to search directly from a site you know you can trust. If you want to search for English grammar, going to scel.smrtenglish.com is a trusted place to start. Another way to find a credible source is to use a feature in google. Google Scholar lets you search academic work written by credible sources. News sites are usually credible sites to search for nonfiction as well; however, it is best to search several news sites for a single story and read the different perspectives on the subject.
Some of the best news sites include:
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.