What are the Author's Affiliations?

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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Authors & Contributors

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What are the Author's Affiliations?

Back to Learn About the Author

You would probably expect to find differences in opinion among leaders of various political parties or particular types of organizations. An editorial about preserving wetlands written by the president of the Sierra Club, for instance, might take a different stance than one written by a lobbyist for a real estate organization. Although it’s rare to find a complete listing of an author’s affiliations, many print and online periodicals provide brief descriptions of the author of an article or column. Check these descriptions for clues about an author’s affiliations.

If you’re uncertain about an author’s affiliations, and would like to learn more about them, consider searching for the author on the World Wide Web. An increasing number of authors have created home pages on which they list information about themselves, such as their educational background, professional experience, and interests. To read about how to conduct a search, visit our unit on Conducting Electronic Searches.