Not all sources are created equal. You will need to ensure that the source you are taking information from is reliable.
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.
See UMass's Fake News LibGuide for more guidance in evaluating sources.
