WR121 Donnelly

OK, so you're writing an essay and you need to get some inspiration from an outside information source or two. Taylor wants you to use "reliable databases and scholarly searches" to access reliable information. What counts as reliable?

It depends. I find that asking myself these questions helps me decide if information is good to use:

1. Is there thoughtful substance to this information?
2. Can I identify an author? Is that author human?
3. Does this information seem trustworthy to me?
4. Do I trust the publisher of this information?
   • Anyone and anything can publish nowadays - a non-profit organization, advocacy group, college, corporation, online troll who got his very own blog, or bot.
5. If this is an opinion piece, is it fact-based or totally coming out of left field?
6. How old is this information and does that matter?
7. Could you talk about this topic around the water cooler?
8. Does this source ask questions? Is it philosophical?
9. Is the source long enough to actually share good, meaty information?
10. Is there bias?
    • Bias is a tricky one...it can be acknowledged and up-front, or it can be hidden. Watch for word choice, images, or headline placement that might influence your interpretation of the content.
11. Was this information free?
    • You get what you pay for, and CCC Library databases aren't free (tuition and tax $). Or you pay in pop-up ads.