Which factors help determine if a source is credible?

• A. The time of day it was published
• B. Author qualifications, publisher reputation, citations, and corroborating evidence
• C. Length of the article, number of images, and color scheme
• D. The author's popularity on social media

Answer: (B)

Assessing source credibility rests on whether the information rests on verifiable expertise and reliable standards. The best indicator is a combination of author qualifications, publisher reputation, citations, and corroborating evidence. Author qualifications show the writer has relevant knowledge or credentials; publisher reputation signals that the outlet has editorial processes to check facts; citations demonstrate that the work builds on other credible sources; corroborating evidence means other independent sources back up the claims. In contrast, the time of day a piece was published doesn’t affect accuracy, and the length, number of images, or color scheme don’t prove truthfulness. Likewise, an author’s popularity on social media doesn’t guarantee reliability.