Guides: What are credible sources?: Websites (2024)

FAQs

What is a credible website source? ›

A credible or reliable source is one where you can trust the information that the source provides. You can rely on the information provided within the source because the person, publisher, or institution that is providing this information is a credible source for that information.

A credible source is free from bias and backed up with evidence. It is written by a trustworthy author or organization.

Check the domain name

Generally, . edu and . gov websites are credible, but beware of sites that use these suffixes in an attempt to mislead. Nonprofit websites may also contain reliable information, but take some time to consider the organization's purpose and agenda to determine if it could be biased.

The definition of a credible source can change depending on the discipline, but in general, for academic writing, a credible source is one that is unbiased and is backed up with evidence.

Websites can provide valuable evidence to support your discussion, just like books or journal articles. For instance, many authoritative sources such as academic institutions, government and research bodies, or charities use the internet to make important data available as quickly and freely as possible.

It is important to be able to identify which sources are credible. This ability requires an understanding of depth, objectivity, currency, authority, and purpose. Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors.

A reliable source is one that provides a thorough, well-reasoned theory, argument, discussion, etc. based on strong evidence. Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or books -written by researchers for students and researchers. Original research, extensive bibliography.

Identifying Credible Sources

Credible, reliable, trustworthy, authoritative - these are all words to describe sources that you can trust to contain accurate information.

What is reliable vs credible sources? ›

Reputable sources (sometimes called reliable sources) rely on the reputation of their publication (ex. newspaper or journal) for having high standards of researching, fact-checking, accountability, and ethical reporting. Credible sources rely on the expertise of the author to know the topic completely.

Websites with .com or . net. are not unreliable, but they should be used with caution. In Google's Advanced Search, you can limit your searches by domain.

You can build web site credibility by providing third-party support (citations, references, source material) for information you present, especially if you link to this evidence. Even if people don't follow these links, you've shown confidence in your material. 2. Show that there's a real organization behind your site.

Primary, secondary & tertiary sources.

Credible evidence is evidence that's likely to be believed. A credible plan is one that might actually work, and a credible excuse is one your parents might actually believe. And just as credible means "believable", the noun credibility means "believability".

Because it is easy for anyone to publish anything on a website, you need to find websites that contain reliable information. Websites with these domains (the URL ending) generally have reliable information: . org (a registered organisation)

Large publishers or reputable magazines and journals will thoroughly check the facts of the information they are distributing, which makes these sources pretty safe. This is especially true if the source in question comes from peer-reviewed journals or other scholarly databases.

The . gov means it's official.

Federal government websites always use a . gov or . mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you're on a .