Background information about the origin of a source is useful in assessing its authority and credibility. It can also help you understand the content of the text.

• Examine the author’s educational background, research area, other works, statements in the press, Wikipedia, etc.
• In scientific articles you can usually find information about the author – such as their affiliated institution and research area.
• Also, consider the author’s motivation for writing the text.

Background information about the text’s publisher or publishing house can help assess the text’s authority and credibility.

• Reflect, for example, on the publisher’s motivation, ideology, or political affiliation.
• Consider where you obtained the text – from your teacher, Facebook, Twitter, Google, a scientific database, or the library?
• If you are working with journal articles it is worth considering whether they are peer-reviewed. 

The content of the text is essential in assessing credibility and authority.

• Examine the language and structure of the text. Is there, for example, an introduction and a conclusion?
• What type of text is it? Is it a book, a blog, a scientific research article, or a news article?
• Check if there are references in the text. Are they accurate? Are there claims in the text without references?
• How is the argumentation in the text? Is it nuanced or one-sided? Are counterarguments discussed?
• Are you able to find sources that affirm or, more importantly, contradict the arguments of the text? 

Always consider your own use of a text in your assessment of its relevance. The evaluation of a text will always depend on what you intend to use the text for.

• A text or source can serve various roles in a paper or an essay. Consider where the text is relevant - does it provide theory, empirical points, argumentation, or documentation?
• Does the text align with the question you are asking? Is the information still current?
• Consider the value and relevance of a source. Does the text contribute to an academic discussion? Have you found information sources that contradict or nuance each other?
• When searching for information be nuanced in your inclusion and exclusion criteria, and be aware that you should not just search for texts that support your hypothesis.
• Your search results reflect your information search, so be thorough and nuanced in your keywords and reflect on any biases in your choices.
• Think about your choice of databases and which publications they cover.
• Reflect on how databases and search engines use algorithms to rank their search results.

Scientific publications will often make up the majority of your references in a university assignment, but non-scientific information sources can also be relevant.

• Scientific publications present original research, investigations, or analyses within a specific scientific field. Unlike other types of information scientific publications are often peer-reviewed, meaning that other researchers have assessed the scientific quality of a publication. Scientific publications always include references.
• If you need examples of a current phenomenon or viewpoint, news articles, social media posts, blog posts, etc. may be appropriate.