Many people find history interesting because they
consider it to be a collection of true stories about
people and events of the past. They enjoy reading
about the people and events that made the world
what it is today. This unit explores how historians
find information and how they determine if that
information is worthy of being analyzed and
passed on to future generations. News is
sometimes called history in the making. How do
you get information about what is happening in
the world today? How do you determine if it's
relevant or important? How do you determine if
the source is truthful or credible?

Does the author or agency that created the information have the credentials, academic background, or experience to write authoritatively about the topic?

Authors:

Google their name(s)...do they have a degree related to the topic they are addressing?

Watch out for people with degrees (MA, MS, PhD) in a field unrelated to what they are writing about. A PhD in English does not qualify someone to give medical advice, for instance.

Agencies:

Google their name...do they have a good reputation in the field they are addressing?

Are they really taking responsibility for a particular website or certain resource? In the case of websites, sometimes university web pages are "official" and sometimes they belong solely to students or staff or faculty. To learn how to tell the difference, visit our "How can I "read" a URL or website address?" answer.

See also: What is a good way to find information about the authority or qualifications of an author?

Explanation: