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How to choose a reliable source? In general, no source is 100% neutral. After all, newspaper articles, lexicon entries and the like are always created by a person. And every person has a certain filter with which he or she looks at the world and what happens in it. So, if you often wonder how to choose a reliable source, then continue reading this article.
Check if the source is relevant
A good source should, of course, be one that is truly interesting to your topic. However, you can check this here to learn more about the credibility of the source. If you're supposed to be lecturing on a particular topic or theme, a treatise on the history of your country's monarchy, for example, your information should be relevant and true. So always ask yourself: is this source really relevant to the topic?
Know the author of the source
The key questions at this stage are: is the author clearly recognizable, is he or she, so to speak, open to what he or she is putting out? Is he or she is a specialist in the field? Has a particular reputation, positive, or negative? When it comes to a web article for which no author can be recognized at first glance, take a look at the legal notices. At least there is who is responsible for the website. If no author or responsible person can be identified, alarm bells should ring.
Is the information transparent and verifiable?
Serious authors don't just throw out supposed facts, figures and data, they clearly show where they got their information from. So how easily verifiable is the information from the source in question? Is it stated where the numbers and data came from? Are the citations clearly indicated? Or is the whole thing a string of assertions rather than verifiable facts? If a source gives opinions rather than facts, you can only cite them as a barometer of mood or individual opinion.