TASK 1 How to Assess if Sources are Reliable?

Context

Imagine you’re reading about a new study claiming that “drinking green tea daily reduces cancer risk by 70%.” The headline sounds impressive, and the article cites a “recent scientific study.” But when you look closer:

The study only involved 20 participants, all from the same city.
There was no control group—everyone drank green tea.
The results were published on a blog, not in a peer-reviewed journal.
The blog is run by a company that sells green tea supplements.

If you accepted this claim without questioning, you might believe green tea is a miracle cure, even though the evidence is weak and biased.

In science—and in everyday life—checking the sample size, study design, and publication source helps you avoid being misled by unreliable research.

Real-world example: Small sample sizes and exaggerated claims

In 2015, a study on chocolate and weight loss made headlines worldwide. Later, it was revealed to be a deliberate hoax by a journalist to show how easy it is for weak studies to spread. The study had:

Only 15 participants
Multiple variables tested (increasing the chance of false positives)
Published in a journal with minimal peer review

This case highlights why replication, peer review, and statistical rigor matter in research reliability.

How to check if sources are reliable

Look for trustworthy, accurate, and unbiased research.

Check the author, publisher, journal, and content. Reliable sources usually come from university experts and well-known journals.
Ask yourself:

Who funded the research?
Are they promoting a product or idea?
Could someone gain money or publicity from these results?

Check if the article is peer reviewed.

Peer-reviewed articles are reviewed by other experts before publication.
You can find this info on the journal’s website or database.
Peer review usually means higher quality, but it’s not perfect! Still think critically.

Investigate beyond the article.

Don’t just believe what the article or website says about itself.
Search for independent sources to confirm its reliability.
Open a second tab and read laterally - look up the author, journal, organisation or similar articles while reading. Use databases, Google, or even social media to see who the author, journal or organisation are, who follows them, and what they post. This can reveal bias or connections to certain groups.

Frameworks for critically evaluating what you are reading

CRAAP

An evaluation method that provides you with a method and list of questions to evaluate the nature and value of the information that you find.

Currency	Publication date Review date Experiment date
Relevance	How closely related to your research question? Correct academic level?
Authority	Is the author qualified & respected to write on THIS subject
Accuracy	Verify information presented by other sources.
Purpose	Why was the article written? Inform? Entertain? Discuss? Persuade? Commercial gain?

Potential missteps when applying CRAAP framework

Overwhelming number of things to consider
Assumes a lot of industry/subject knowledge to judge credentials
Website elements used to infer authority can be faked
Domain names given higher respect like .org .edu can always be purchased. It is the reputation behind the .org or .edu that is important.

Review Task: CRAAP Test