Is this a reliable source?
Reliability
- Sources that maintain a neutral tone, not trying to vent, or sell a product or position are generally reliable. You'll want to be cautious of personal blogs and comments posted on social media.
- Links from educational websites, and those affiliated with a respected organizations, are considered reliable.
- Sources from the Library's databases are credible, though not always appropriate for your research.
- Sources that are commercial in nature with calls for donations and flashy effects are generally not considered objective sources.
- If currency is important for your topic, avoid sites with dated information and old links.
Sources from Google Scholar are academic in nature and considered reliable, particularly if they have been cited by others numerous times.
Note: This article has been referred to 429 times by others.
Credibility
Sources that include authors' names, credentials and affiliations can be reliable, as long as those credentials and affiliation are credible.
Note: Authors are part of the Department of Psychology at The University of Toledo.
Links from domain such as .org, .edu, and .gov are considered more reliable than those from .com, though recognized news sources can be an exception.
