We have different examples of sources of information; and most specifically the social media but how

do we know that these sources are reliable or not?

While there is a wealth of information found in these various sources, you should also keep in mind that
not all of these pieces of information are accurate, relevant or useful, and valid or credible. Hence, it is
very important to evaluate sources that you plan to include in your writing, specifically in academic
writing, or in doing a research.

We have this criteria in evaluating sources for assessing whether a source is suitable to use for
academic purposes.

There is always a risk that the sources taken from the internet or anywhere else have biased or incorrect
information or information that is not true, doesn’t have an evidence, so you always have to evaluate
and filter your sources before using them. Not only does an incorrect source affect your research, it also
affects your credibility as a writer. That’s why it is extremely important to evaluate the quality of the
sources you use!

First Criteria

How well does the source support your topic?

How closely is the source related to your topic?

Directly related? Slightly related? Find a source na related sa imong topic or research. How much
emphasis will that information give to your research? For example, you are currently researching about
the topic of Public speaking. You must find a source that is related to Public speaking, and you should
check first the title of it. An example of a source that is related to Public speaking is “10 ways on how to
speak confidently in front of other people”.

Second Criteria

Is the author’s name identified? (Basin nickname ra. Especially sa internet, naay mag post og news then
the author is not identified)

Is the author’s background, education, or training related to the topic? (Ex. The author is a physics
teacher and his publication is all about cooking. Is that a reliable source now? Of course, it’s not a
reliable source of information.)

Is he or she a professor in a reputable company? (Ex. What if the author writes a book that is all about
science which ginagamit sa students and that author pala is not a science professor or he/she doesn’t
have a background on it)

What are his/her publications? Is the contact information of the author available? (Typically, this contact
information, it doesn’t mean na contact number ha, diba sa book there is always an email address of the
author.)

 Legitimate academic texts must include citations as a requirement for publication.

Citations demonstrate that the writer has thoroughly researched the topic and is not plagiarizing the
material. When we say plagiarizing, it’s about using words or ideas of another person as if they were
their own words or ideas, in other words, gina angkon nila nga ilaha to. Plagiaring is closely related to
stealing.

Third Criteria

Currency – the timeliness of the information

What is the date of the publication?

Is the information current enough for your topic, or is it out-of-date?

In your source, you should use the latest or the most current research about your topic.