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Work Ready U Information Literacy Guide: Credible and Non-Credible Results

This guide is designed to increase your information and digital literacy skills.

Credible and Non-Credible Sources

Credible Source Criteria:

  • Author's Purpose is Unbiased
  • Backed with Evidence
  • Person, Publisher, or Institution is Credible
  • References are Reliable and Credible
  • Information Supported by Evidence and Citations
  • The Date of Publication is Less than 10 Years Old; 5 Years for Anything Medical
  • The Information Aligns with Similar Credible Articles

Non-Credible Source Criteria:

  • Out-of-Date Materials 
  • Posts from Social Networks (i.e. Facebook);
  • Research Articles Without Citations and References
  • Fake Sources from AI Platforms like ChatGPT

Wikipedia can never be considered as a reliable source of information since it can be edited by anyone. However, it can be used when you are first trying to understand the topic. (Speak with your instructor before using Wikipedia.)