Authority

No matter if it’s a web page, article or a book, you need to determine who is responsible for the information and how qualified that person or body is to write on the subject. Don’t accept words or opinions without knowing something about who wrote them.

• What are the author’s credentials?
• What is the author's education, experience and/or occupation?
• Is he/she qualified to write on the topic?
• What institution, organization or company is the author affiliated with?
• What organization or body published the information? Is it authoritative?