It is a good and common practice to use the writings of another author. But this practice is not without limits, because not all writings are necessarily authentic. In this article, we offer you some tips for checking the authenticity of your sources.
Research the author
Whether it is in paper or digital form, any writing to be referenced is necessarily the work of a natural or legal person called the author. The credibility of the author is very important and you should see it here for more information. You can identify the author directly if the page or document is signed or go higher when it is a site. With this identity, you can search for information about the author's academic background. You will then be reassured of the skills he or she would have acquired according to the field of intervention. You should also find out about the author's profession and experience in the field. This information gives you an idea of the personality you are dealing with. It should be noted that the author's other works can give you an idea of whether he or she has the information you need and want to reference. Once you have learned enough about the author, you need a good analysis of the information to use.
Assessing the credibility of the information
Getting to know an author alone is not enough to reference them. You need to check whether the information you need is true; whether it is current and relevant to your context and realities. So, you have to analyse the relevance of the information according to the subject matter. One of the most effective ways of checking the authenticity of a fact is to see if other authors have said similar things in the field of intervention. This comparison step will help to be more or less sure that the information to be referenced is not a lie or an unsubstantiated invention. Note also that the form and structure of the document or article is very important. An authentic document should not contain spelling and grammatical errors and should be well presented. These are some tips to ensure the credibility of a fact or source.