Not all sources are created equal. You will need to ensure that the source you are taking information from is reliable, especially when it comes to politically-charged and controversial subjects such as reproductive freedom and end-of-life decisions.
In general, reliability of sources can be ranked this way:
- Peer-reviewed journals
- Non-peer reviewed texts accompanying peer-reviewed journals (but be aware that they might be opinion pieces rather than statements of fact or rigorous analyses)
- News articles and reports of well-known journalistic sources
- Other material on the web sites of well-known journalistic sources
- Social media and Wikipedia
The CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) can help you determine the reliability of a source.
Media Bias / Fact Check is a site that examines bias in media from all points of the political spectrum. It includes a "Daily Source Bias Check" that examines the truthfulness and bias of various news sources.
See UMass's Fake News LibGuide for more guidance in evaluating sources.
