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What is the Format of the Source?

Are there any clues from the format of the source that can help you determine suitability and credibility?

  • What is the format of the information - a social media post, a news report, a book, a journal article, etc?
  • Who is the publisher of this piece?  Is it self-published? Can you discover who funded the writing or distribution of it?
  • Does the source follow a standard presentation of information, like many peer-reviewed journals?
  • What type of language is being used - technical language, jargon, or easy to understand?
  • Is the text free from grammatical and spelling errors?