To help determine the credibility of a source, try to use the suggestions below.

You will need to consider the following about the author of the publication:

• Is the author an expert in this field?
• Where is the author employed?
• What else has he or she written?

You will also need to consider the following questions about the publisher:

• Is the publisher well known?
• Does the publisher stand to benefit from the research or argument presented in the publication?

Universities, museums, and other educational or research institutions are often reliable publishers.

For example, the Association of American University Presses is the largest and oldest association of nonprofit scholarly publishers in the world. Members include university presses, scholarly societies, research institutions, and museums. They publish books and journals reporting cutting-edge research in virtually every field of human knowledge. Any university press affiliated with this organization is well respected and publishes credible material.