For the writer who is not an academic, it is difficult to make the same judgments (about the credibility of a particular source of information) an academic would make,

• yet the writer (who is not an academic) can ask the same types of questions an academic might ask about a particular source (of recorded information).

Questions Concerning the Writer

1. Is the writer (who assembled the information in the source being judged) regarded as a Subject Matter Expert (as opposed to just being well-informed individual) on the topic of the text (being considered as a source of information)?
• If so, then regarded by whom—and why?
2. Does the writer (who assembled the information in the source being judged) provide adequate in-text citations and an end-of-text list of citation sources?
   • If so, then what is the credibility of the sources used by the writer (who assembled the information in the source being judged)?
3. If the writer reports findings from primary research, does that writer also describe the primary research methods used?
• If so, then how reliable is information developed using those methods?
4. To what degree does the writer reasonably interpret information, especially information recorded by others?
5. With what degree of accuracy does the writer present information recorded by others?

Questions Concerning the Audience Forum

The questions to the writer can use to judge a particular audience forum tend to vary among those forums.

Journals—Academic and Professional

1. Are the EDITORS (of the journal being considered as a source of information) highly regarded by the target audience of their journal?
2. What are the things most valued by these EDITORS (with regard to the texts they choose to publish)?
3. Is the journal (being considered as a source of information) a "refereed" journal ?
4. How many years has the journal (being considered as a source of information) been in continuous publication?
5. How old is the volume (or issue) of the journal (that is being considered as a source of information)?
6. How often does the journal (being considered as a source of information) present opposing views?
7. How fairly does the journal (being considered as a source of information) present opposing views?

Books and Newspapers

1. What is the reputation of the PUBLISHER (who printed the book or newspaper being considered as a source of information)?
2. If the book is a edited collection of essays/articles from different writers, then are the EDITORS (of the book or newspaper) highly regarded by those in the field (of knowledge) that is the focus of the book?
3. How old is the book or newspaper (being considered as a source of information)?

Websites

1. Does the ORGANIZATION (or individual) that publishes the website have a reputation of presenting credible and unbiased information?
2. What is the reputation of the ORGANIZATION (or individual) hosting the website?
3. What seems to be the desired consequence of the website, and
• what does that desired consequence (metaphorically) suggest about the crediblity of—or bias in—the information on the site?
4. How often does the website (being considered as a source of information) present opposing views?
5. How fairly does the website (being considered as a source of information) present opposing views?