Quality Research Is Reliable And Therefore Credible

Research requires knowledge of the sources used. Being able to identify those sources and retrieve the findings requires work. Checking the sources of the original document will strengthen the reliability of the findings.
Credibility Factors
Five of the factors that determine the credibility are based on personal experience, which include
The author’s identity and contact information are available
The author uses cited references
Checking the suffix of the domain name is of a credible source
Check the source: scholarly journals and peer reviewed sources
Be certain the dates are current and the content is not outdated.
The five determining factors from researched resources include
Date of wanted information
The position of the author
Biases evident within the author’s material
How the material is presented
Accessible by all individuals with research capabilities.
Identify the Author
Ensuring the author’s identification is accessible requires the internet researcher to look at the header and footer of the webpage. The author’s name will appear along with contact information. Searching through vendors such as those with e-libraries, the author information is provided in the article’s link. This is so even if the information retrieved is only an abstract which will provide information as to where the article in its entirety was published.
Contact information may not be available in all sources. It is safe to further research the author to find multiple works identifying the author’s credibility through scholarly papers and peer reviewed sources.
Domain Name Suffix
The source used in the research should have cited works and references to back the findings of the author. The references should be of a relevant source either to strengthen the author’s work or to offer a contrast.
The suffix of a domain name determines from where the information comes. The suffix –.edu refers to an educational institution, -.mil refers to a military site, and –.gov refers to a government website. The credibility is more likely on these sites rather than those with a suffix of -.com. The -.gov websites have provided vast amounts of information for past research projects and continues to offer the most current and credible information.
Using scholarly sites such as Google Scholar and school library databases that allow the choice of peer reviewed options offer higher levels of credibility. Peer-reviewed information means that, at the very least, an editor has reviewed the information.
Check the Dates
The final personal determining factor is to check the dates. Credible information should provide dates and offer current information. Outdated referencing and information will reduce the credibility. Articles and other references should contain content that is current or contain current cited works
Read the Information
Knowing what it is the search is intended for allows the researching individual to decide what sources would most fit their need. The biases of an author should not be evident in credible material. The attempt to invoke a predetermined emotion by the author is unfair.
The necessary information should be accessible via other means of research materials. The type of material or source such as statistics over time would require the access of those materials at the needed time frame. The website should be accessible to all readers and those that may oppose the content. The use of a database at work or the intranet is not accessible to those that are not employed at that organization.
Conclusion
The individual performing the research must use critical thinking skills to determine the credibility of the source. Finding the information needed is only part of the research process. The content must be reviewed and a determination made, after close examination, as the relevance and credibility of the internet source.

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