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Source Credibility: The First Step Towards Unique and Dependable Content

The Importance of Affirming Source Credibility of Reference Material

While writing any research article, it is common to use references. It is significant to be aware of source credibility while jotting down reference passages for an academic/research paper. Affirming source credibility ensures submission of non-plagiarized work. The works cited in the article acts as proof of the fact.

In the present world, the dependence on online sources has increased exponentially. People often read books online or take notes from online journals. However, with the expansion of the internet, users have started having access to incorrect and fake content. Many web pages feature plagiarized content.

Some websites are there with scraped content. It is plagiarism, and new updates/software applications are there to combat the plagiarism problem. But the complete removal of plagiarized content is a challenging task owing to the number of websites and social pages on the internet.

Hence, it is best to check for plagiarism with anti-plagiarism software. The online plagiarism checker offers an easy way to check the authenticity of the content that a person wants to use as a reference.

Why Manual Checking, Is Challenging?

With different types of content manipulations occurring in the virtual platform, it is pretty tough to do manual checking of sources for plagiarism. With an automatic plagiarism detector, the task becomes simplified as the plagiarism checker highlights the plagiarized content and shows its source. With the help of this application, it is possible to ascertain the source credibility of any reference.

However, as a professional writer, it is also vital to research sources consciously. Before using data from an online source, it is crucial to check the website’s credibility before checking the credibility of the reference. There is a wide range of sites that provide information.

However, while doing research, a person cannot randomly choose a website for noting but references. Some websites allow users to edit the content on their sites. It is an effective option but can be misused intentionally or unintentionally. These sites cannot be called dependable for academic research because anyone can edit the information given on those sites.

What Kind of Data Should One Cite?

Similarly, websites that do not feature their content source or use anonymous authors for most of their content are not suitable for reference purposes. One should meet specific standards for the data to be worthy of citation.

Researchers cannot use content written without credible scholarly backing for research purposes. There is also a significant chance that sources that are not certified contain copied content. Hence, checking the source’s credibility is the most important action for a researcher or writer.

Moreover, if a researcher uses text from another person’s writing without proper acknowledgment, it is quite likely that s/he will violate the copyright rules and can be accused of copyright infringement.

Hence, the research writers should use content from other sources with proper citation. However, randomly citing things is not at all acceptable in any academic document. The researcher has to use an appropriate citation style and acknowledge the content in their text. There are varied citation styles, such as the Chicago Manual, APA, MLA, and others. Researchers should follow that style, which the university approves.

How to Identify Dependable Content?

One can trust the dependable content, as it is a piece of information. Now, the question is what dependable content is? One usually categorizes original and reasonable content as dependable. But plagiarized content can be factually correct as it is stolen content. There are numerous ways in which content gets stolen on the virtual platform. Sometimes, article writers are not even aware of the misuse of their content.

It is important to note that content syndication is not incorrect. In the online space, people publish content to gain exposure. However, featuring the content on the writer’s social page and/or website is not enough. It is vital to expand the number of viewers, and this is possible when the content gets featured on multiple websites or social pages.

Content sharing is a common practice in today’s virtual world. The copyright owner of the content decides the platforms where the content gets shared. Professional writers also allow public sharing of content for increasing the number of views.

Sometimes, exponential sharing of content within a short period leads to viral content. But the dependability of a piece of content is not dependent on the viral nature of the content. In the present world, there is a growing trend of fake information.

One can also observe the wide circulation of incorrect data in today’s world. Therefore, it is highly significant to confirm source credibility to stop the unprecedented spreading of fake information.

One can gauge the dependability of a piece of content by reviewing the following aspects:

  • Correct Information About the Author of the Content:

Distinct authors write the journal articles. In the case of collaboration, the names of all the authors are present in it. While reading a piece of content, it is vital to check the name of the author. A person can also search for more details about the author. Writers often share their bio with the articles and also links to other published works. It is not uncommon to find the names of fabricated authors. Hence it is vital to check author details carefully.

  • Publication Details of the Article/Paper:

Plagiarized content or stolen articles usually have false publication details. It is not possible to distinguish incorrect publication details from real ones. As a researcher, it is sensible to do a background check of the details of the publication given with a written piece.

A little cross-examination is enough to determine the authenticity of the details of the publication. Legit authors provide complete information regarding the publication details of their work. It is best to verify those details by checking them against online sources.

  • The Quality of the Content:

Content dependability, as well as its credibility, highly depends on its quality. The actual material that goes into making a piece of content informative is research and originality. The use of thin content that does not have authentic facts or is completely superfluous cannot be regarded as dependable content.

Conclusion:

Source credibility is a vital aspect that determines the dependability of a reference. Plagiarized count or web pages that feature copied content cannot be described as credible sources. As responsible writers, it is sensible to check for plagiarism so that the source credibility is there while writing journal articles.

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