Is the Author a Recognized Authority?

Introduction

Consider the Purpose and Audience of a Source

Learn about the Author(s) of a Source

Who is the author, and what are his or her credentials?

Is the author a recognized authority?

With what institutions or organizations is the author affiliated?

In what ways does the author’s biases affect the source?

What if a source doesn’t identify its author?

Learn about the Publisher of a Source

Strategies for Evaluating the General Outlook of a Web Site

Strategies for Evaluating the General Outlook of Periodical

Consider the Accuracy and Balance of Evidence in a Source

Consider the Publication Date of a Source

Consider the Role a Source Can Play in Your Paper

Consider the Role of Primary and Secondary Sources

Consider the Level of Specialization of a Source

Consider the Medium in Which a Source is Published

Questions to ask about Print Sources

Questions to ask about Electronic Sources

Questions to ask about Field Sources

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Is the Author a Recognized Authority?

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Ultimately, the best measure of someone's authority is whether his or her work meets the critical demands of other authorities. If your instructor knows the field, you might ask him or her about the author, or there might be someone else on campus who can answer your questions.

If your source is a weekly newsmagazine like Time, Newsweek, or U.S. News & World Report, the writer of an article is likely to be a reporter, not always a famous name, and probably not a world-renowned authority. Such magazines do, however, feature some articles by experts, and all such magazines have a good reputation for checking their facts carefully and presenting a range of opinions. Be aware, however, that some magazines select facts to mirror the opinions of their editors.

If you get information from the World Wide Web, a newsgroup, or certain electronic databases, it can be difficult to learn about an author's credentials. If no credentials are provided, consider sending electronic mail to the author asking about his or her credentials. If you can't find out anything about the author, carefully consider whether it’s best to use the information.