The net is brimming with information, much of which is questionable. So, how do you decide which article or website to trust?
Here are ten guidelines to establish the credibility or the trust level of information.
# Tip 1
Who is the author
The first thing you need to check is the writer’s credentials. What are the writer’s qualifications to write the article? Does the writer have sufficient experience? What are the writer’s affiliations? Does the writer work for a credible institution? Are there any past writings by the writer?
In case of blogs or individual home pages, you can check this information on the About Us page. Good bloggers provide detailed information about themselves to enable visitors to check their relevant expertise to write on the subject.
Professional websites provide this information at the end of the article. Several websites provide the e-mail address of the author that can be used to connect with the author.
# Tip 2
What is the purpose of the Article
Has the article been written to inform or educate visitors? Is it to advocate a cause? Is it to sell a product? The purpose becomes quite evident as you read the article. Articles that use inflammatory language or promote activist views should be shunned. Similarly, articles that reek of bias should be left untouched. They are the views of an individual or an organisation, and may not be based on facts. You should also question the credibility of articles that promote self or own products.
# Tip 3
The article quotes sources
The most trustworthy articles are those that quote from established sources. They hyperlink information to authoritative sources on the net. Such articles are well researched, and well referenced. They use existing research and data to advance points of view.
# Tip 4
The article gives both sides of the story
The best writers give all points of view. They use data/evidence to support their arguments. Similarly, their conclusions are drawn from accepted information. Most important, they don’t force their opinion on you. But help you try and understand issues.
# Tip 5
The article has a logical structure
Good writers take great care in structuring their articles. The most important points come first, the less important points follow. There is no repetition or jumping from point to point. Each point is well presented. Such articles reflect the pains the author has taken in obtaining and presenting information. They can therefore be trusted more.
# Tip 6
The quality of writing is good
Meticulous writers are very painstaking. They fuss over syntax, writing style, spelling etc. They want to make sure that there are no typographical errors or any other errors that may invite ridicule from their peer group. Such writers can surely be trusted.
# Tip 7
Information is not dated
All data gets dated. Do not use information that has been posted four or five years ago. Check for latest information. Check the article to see if it has been updated, and provides current information. It is a good test to establish the relevance of data, and the effort made by the writer to provide useful and valuable information.
# Tip 8
Who is the publisher
This is the best yardstick to establish credibility. Websites of established newspapers, magazines, institutions, government departments, research institutes, etc greatly value credibility. They check and cross-check information before posting it online. Such information therefore is more trustworthy because it has already undergone one round of checks. However, the same cannot be said of blogs where it is essential to check the background of the author.
# Tip 9
Others link to the site
Another useful indicator is external links. People will only hyperlink to those sites that are trustworthy and credible. You can find the back-links from Alexa.com. The site tells you how many external links are coming to a website.
# Tip 10
There is an informative About Us Page
The most trustworthy sources are those that provide contact information about themselves as well as of authors writing for them. They also provide their e-mail address and phone numbers for visitors to write/call and check information.
The most trustworthy sources are those that provide contact information about themselves as well as of authors writing for them. They also provide their e-mail address and phone numbers for visitors to write/call and check information.
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