Which criteria help you judge the reliability of a source?

• A. The author's favorite color
• B. Author expertise, publication reputation, corroboration by other sources, transparency about sources, and absence of sensationalism
• C. The number of charts in the article
• D. The page margin size

Answer: (B)

Evaluating credibility means looking for signals that the information is accurate, well-sourced, and worth trusting. The strongest indicators are author expertise, which shows the writer has relevant knowledge on the topic; publication reputation, which reflects editorial standards and fact-checking; corroboration by other sources, which helps confirm that independent checks align; transparency about sources, which allows you to trace data and methods; and absence of sensationalism, which suggests a balanced, evidence-based presentation. Things like the author’s favorite color, the number of charts, or the page margins don’t affect the trustworthiness of the content, so they don’t help determine reliability.