## 4.2 Reliability

Reliability

Information is reliable if you can trust it to be correct.

Credibility and objectivity are important here. Ask yourself the following questions to assess whether information is reliable:

- What is the source of the information? Is it a book, magazine, database, website? What can you say about the reliability of that source? For websites, also pay attention to the domain name and the extension (.com=commercial, .org=organisation, .edu=educational institution et cetera)
- Who is/are the author(s)? Are they experts? Is there an editor? Does the author work for an organisation, company or institution?
- What is the purpose of the publication (to inform, convince, entertain, promote, sell)? Is there a client or sponsor?
- If in doubt, search the internet for information about the author, organisation or publisher.