Credible vs Non-Credible Sources J Fer, the most credible of all sources* *- According to a recent survey taken by J Fer

What does it mean to be “credible” Reliable, accurate, and trustworthy Journals by authors respected and well- known in their specific fields Websites from credible institutions like Mayo Clinic, Department of Justice, and University-affiliated institutions. Materials published in the last ten years (when more recent information is available) Websites: The more information available, the more credible the website. There is a specific author, the audience is clear, the purpose is informative not biased, and the information is regularly updated. .org and .edu are usually reliable but keep in mind that anyone can create these websites

Non Credible Sources Blogs, Facebook posts, or other self- authored sites Research articles without citations Websites with information not from an author or governmental department Materials published over 15 years ago or have theories that are clearly out-of- date Websites: There is not much information available. If the purpose is not informative but may have other motives, like to persuade, the site may not be credible. The website is not regularly updated or the author is unreliable. *Conflicting accounts does not automatically mean than one is incorrect.

(not to be confused with)Scholarly Sources Peer reviewed or published in a recognized scholarly source, like a journal or a university publisher. www.my.pitt.edu (university example)

Question to ask Who is the author? Credible sources are written by authors respected in their fields of study. Responsible, credible authors will cite their sources so that you can check the accuracy of and support for what they've written. How recent is the source? The choice to seek recent sources depends on your topic. While sources on the American Civil War may be decades old and still contain accurate information, sources on information technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current. What is the author's purpose? When deciding which sources to use, you should take the purpose or point of view of the author into consideration. Is the author presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or is the author advocating one specific view of a topic? Who is funding the research or writing of this source? A source written from a particular point of view may be credible; however, you need to be careful that your sources don't limit your coverage of a topic to one side of a debate. What type of sources does your audience value? If you are writing for a professional or academic audience, they may value peer-reviewed journals as the most credible sources of information. If you are writing for a group of residents in your hometown, they might be more comfortable with mainstream sources, such as Time or Newsweek. A younger audience may be more accepting of information found on the Internet than an older audience might be. Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources! Never use Web sites where an author cannot be determined, unless the site is associated with a reputable institution such as a respected university, a credible media outlet, government program or department, or well-known non-governmental organizations. Beware of using sites like Wikipedia, which are collaboratively developed by users. Because anyone can add or change content, the validity of information on such sites may not meet the standards for academic research.

The Wikipedia Debate Not a credible source Community of contributors who may not be experts Cited sources are often unverified Not accepted in college Can be used to get initial understanding, general details, starting point Usage depends on the teacher

Primary and Secondary Sources document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records  CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art  RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Primary and Secondary Sources (cont.) interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of secondary sources include PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopédies *Remember that  these are just one perspective, other accounts may exist (use multiple sources)

Examples: Rate each from 0-10 on Credibility http://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/wkk/ http://davidvonpein.blogspot.com/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102138/ http://www.esquire.com/features/flight-from-dallas-1013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Lhg3EkSPY http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of- the-President.aspx