Evaluating Resources
1) What is a credible source, and what is it not? Credible means the information is from an authoritative source. A credible source can be either a primary source (usually written in the first person) or a secondary source)
a) A credible source is …
- A peer-reviewed journal article.
- A website of a governmental organization such as Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS)
- A website of a relief organization that might collect its own data (World Bank, UNICEF, etc.)
- A primary source such as a diary
b) What a credible source is NOT…
- A newspaper or magazine article (Newspaper and magazine articles are NOT peers in the discipline)
- Content posted in a .com (...usually – there are some exceptions.)
An editorial, commentary, book review, or abbreviated article in a journal. (Not all articles in a peer reviewed journal are peer-reviewed)- A blog (Content is based on opinions.)
- Content from Wikipedia (any person can post to Wikipedia)