A source-checking checklist

Use this checklist as a starting point. No single answer guarantees reliability, and an unfamiliar source is not automatically a poor one.

Five questions

1. Who is speaking? Identify the author and their connection to the subject.
2. What is the evidence? Look for material you can inspect, not just a confident assertion.
3. When was it published? Older information may need new context.
4. What is missing? Check definitions, comparison groups, and the surrounding quotation.
5. Who independently supports it? Trace citations to avoid counting copies as separate evidence.

Make a short record

Save the claim, its link, and the date you checked it. Note what you found and what remains uncertain. A useful record helps you revisit the conclusion when better information becomes available.