Think critically and consider the following:
Authority
A good source should tell you about who wrote the content. Authoritative sources strengthen your suppositions and arguments, as well as your writing as a whole.
Questions on Authority:
- Do the authors have education? A degree in the discussed topic lots you know the author is reasonably well informed.
- Do the authors have experience? A business tycoon may not have a degree, but they have the practical knowledge of years spent as a CEO.
Accuracy
If you support your arguments with inaccurate resources your reader will be unable to discern whether your conclusions are true or false. By looking at the oversight of and support used in a publication we can be reasonably sure of its credibility.
Questions on Accuracy:
- Are the claims presented supported? An idea shouldn't be taken as true unless there is quality evidence to verify it.
- Did the work undergo oversight? A quality work should be reviewed by a knowledgeable editor, or better yet a one or more scholars in the field ("peer review").
Objectivity
Rather than taking the conclusions of the authors at face value, try and discover the context for their reasoning. Being aware of outside influences enables you to better evaluate a resource.
Questions on Objectivity:
- What are the goals of the work? The objective of the authors should be plainly presented, though you may need to read the introduction to find it.
- Are biases evident? Alternate viewpoints should be discussed in a fair manner. Emotional or condescending speech often indicates a lack of objectivity.