Reliable Sources

The Internet has plenty of places to find information, but not all are created equal.

You can ask a parent or teacher, do a search, or check Wikipedia to find out if something is a trusted, expert source.

Here are three questions to ask:

1. Do they know about the topic?

• An expert source is a person or group with special knowledge on a topic. Doctors and scientists are expert sources. So are museums and science magazines.
• People can be experts in things they have done or laces they have lived.
• You are an expert on your life and yourself.
• A vet would be an expert on dogs, but you might be an expert on your dog.
• Being an expert in one thing doesn’t make you an expert in everything! You wouldn’t ask a dentist to fix a broken arm. Make sure they know what they’re talking about.
  • Write down some examples of different topics and who you would ask about them.

2.  Do they have a process for getting good facts?

A trusted source has ways to make sure they get facts right.

• Scientists do experiments.
• Reporters ask questions.
• People who write books talk to experts.

They also make sure to correct any mistakes they make.

3. Do they have a reason to give you good facts?

• Trusted sources also have reasons to make sure their facts are right:
  • If someone wants you to come to their house, they have a reason to give you accurate directions.
  • If a scientist makes mistakes, other scientists will do experiments that correct them.
  • If a book about dogs has lots of mistakes, people won’t want to buy it.

Take a look at these newspaper slogans.

Not all news sources are as open about what they are selling, but you can usually tell by asking yourself: Would they lose money if people thought they weren’t accurate?