An important thing to consider when deciding if a resource is acceptable for your research is the authority of the author or the organization.
Anyone can put out information on any topic but that does not mean that they are qualified to do so.
Author
- Who wrote it?
- What are their credentials?
- What department or institute are they associated with/work for?
- What is their contact information?
- Who published it?
Why question Authority?
Anyone is free to comment on anything but that does not make them an expert on the topic. If you intend to engage with a resource and use it in your own research you need to consider whether the author is qualified and understands the information that they are writing on.
Scholarly?
- Is the author an academic or researcher?
- Is the author affiliated with a scholarly or research institute?
Why question if the resource is Scholarly?
Scholarly sources are written by qualified authors and aim to present and share original research. These resources are connected to other scholarly work, so the authors document the resources they used in their own research. A scholarly resource will have been written by a qualified author and vetted by experts in the field, this means that the information they put out can be trusted.
But, remember to take organizational and individual biases into account.