More say social media deliver timely material than say the platforms are reliable. ... But although relatively few think social media are more reliable than other sources, in no country does a majority think social media are less reliable. Instead, many say that social media are about as reliable as other sources.
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.
There are several main criteria for determining whether a source is reliable or not.
Newspapers and news reports (online or broadcast)
Some sources are more reliable than others but they may still involve a great deal of bias. Generally, the broadsheet newspapers are more reliable than the tabloids but they too will spin information to meet their own agendas.
Over half of US adults who use social media to get news expect the information they find will be inaccurate, according to a new study. A study on social media as a news source finds 59% of US adults believe the information shared on social platforms is inaccurate.
It is important to critically evaluate sources because using credible/reliable sources makes you a more informed writer. Think about unreliable sources as pollutants to your credibility, if you include unreliable sources in your work, your work could lose credibility as a result.
Non-credible websites may have a poor design, broken links, and grammar and spelling errors. They may lack author, date and/or source information. They will not be associated with credible institutions, organizations, or entities. They may contain unbelievable or incorrect information.
The following are unreliable sources because they require confirmation with a reliable source: Wikipedia: although this is a good starting point for finding initial ideas about a topic, some of their information and attached resources may not be reliable. ... Self-published sources. Opinionated articles such as editorials.
The following are unreliable sources because they require confirmation with a reliable source:
27 What Makes a Trustworthy News Source? ... Transparency: Good news sources clearly mark opinion columns as opinion, disclose conflicts of interest, indicate in stories where information was obtained and how it was verified, and provide links to sources.
Tips for Checking the Source
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. When writing a research paper, always use and cite credible sources.
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