Who wrote this? How much do I trust the author?
Everything wthat conveys information--an article, a video, a book, a film, a website--has at least one author. The author can be a person, or it could be an institution.
- individual: a reporter-->institution: the newspaper that employs the reporter
- individual: a human rights investigator documents rights abuses-->institution: the non-profit human rights organization that employs the investigator
- individual: a union leader writes an editorial-->institution: the union
A newspaper, an academic journal, a website belonging to:
- a for-profit business
- a university, a non-profit organization
- a religious organization
- a government agency.
What kind of knowledge or experience do they have about this topic?
People gain authority in different ways. Individuals may have:
- Educational credentials
- For example, an advanced degree earned after years of study
- Professional Experience
- For example being a scientist, lawyer, doctor, nurse, after undergoing training in your field
- Life Experience
- Personal experiences qualify you to speak about what those experiences felt like and your own observations or strategies you may have used personally.
- Some primary sources are documents that show what someone's personal experience was.
- However, most of your research assignments will ask you to find writing that goes beyond individual experience to an analysis from a more systemic viewpoint, meaning not just what one person has experienced, but broader patterns, theories, events, and issues.
What is their point of view?
- All writers have a point of view. Understanding where someone is coming from is part of understanding their writing.
- Google them!
- Find out what they say about themselves and--as or even more importantly, what others in their field say about them as well. Are they trusted and respected by others (and which others)? Are they widely perceived to be inaccurate or unfair? Finding out what others say about a source is sometimes called lateral reading (see video below).
Why did they write it?
- Every piece of writing takes time and effort (as you should know as students!) No one accidentally creates a website or writes a book or article. Understanding the author's purpose helps you understand the writing.