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Authority
Determine that the author's education or professional experience is related to the subject.

• Check the header and footer of a Web page for information or a link to information about the author or sponsor.
• Scan the beginning and end of the source to find a description of the author's credentials.
• Search the Library Catalog or a periodical index to locate books or articles by the same author.

Bias
Assure yourself that information in the source is supported by fact.

• Look for footnotes or references that document the information in the source.
• Read the "About Us" or the "About this Site" information to learn if the sources of information used incorporate strong cultural, ethnic, or other types of biases or do not acknowledge multiple points of view.
• Skim the text of a source to decide if the author is attempting to sell a product or make a false claim.
• Look for descriptions or reviews that acknowledge the pros and cons of a product, service, or opinion.

Currency
Evaluate the currency of the information. Consider:

• When the source was written or updated.
• If the age of the information is appropriate for the topic.

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