Reliability of a Source Evaluation Checklist

Follow these steps to think about each source you are using. Once you’ve finished these steps, write your sentence about the
reliability of the source.

Step 1:​ Check off as many boxes as apply to your source. If you don’t know, don’t check it off. Make sure to closely read the source
background.
Reliable (check all that apply) Not Reliable (check all that apply)
❏ Does the author experience the event? ❏ Does the author use extremely positive adjectives?
❏ Has the author researched or read about the event? ❏ Does the author use extremely negative adjectives?
❏ Does the author have a professional degree (doctorate) in ❏ Is the author from the place or people they describe that
the field/topic discussed? might show a bias?
❏ Was the source created during the time of the event?
❏ Does the information sound believable? (such as no unicorns
or leprechauns discussed)

Step 2:​ Based on the information in your chart above, determine a level of reliability to this source. If the source is generally reliable, you
should choose High or Medium Reliability. If it is not, choose Low Reliability. (For those that want to extend themselves, you can choose
levels such as Medium-High or Low-Medium).

Step 3: ​Write AT LEAST ONE (you might have more to say) sentence ​evaluating the level of reliability​ and ​WHY you chose that level of
reliability.
For Example: The video series ​Africa’s Great Civilizations​ is ​highly reliable​ because ​a team of scholars and researchers visited Africa and
interviewed historians about the great civilizations.

Words to Help Describe the Amount of Reliability

High Reliability Medium Reliability Low Reliability

Extremely Reliable Somewhat reliable Not reliable

Generally Reliable Mostly reliable Mostly unreliable
Can be trusted Mostly trustworthy Not trustworthy