Question

What steps do you take personally to assess the validity of information you read and consume? Why do you trust some sources and not others?

Answer 1

With the growth of internet of things, digital media, television, newspapers the area or the ambit of information also increased exponentially, the main cause of concern is which one should we beleive in, so validity of information comes into the picture, now in order to validate information a person should take the following steps:-

1. Investigation :- Here investigation about the topic at the personal level should be done, different opinions and informations are to be collected with there sighted source.

2. Research & Analysis:- Based on our own experiances and keeping the code of ethics in mind, proper analysis and through background about the info/ topic is to be analysed.

3. Credibility:- Now based on the sources the info gathered should be differentiated on the basis of its creditibility, For Eg:- A info. by journalist as an witness, government sources, historians, politicians, business persons, traders, foreign sources, general perception, people's opinion, teachers opinion etc.

4. Proximity of Knowledge :- Based on the above classification, the groups which gives as more correct opinions or have similar infomations or are more proximate to our topic is to be selected, because knowledge lies in the statements of a authentic person.

5. Completeness:- The completeness of the info. is to be obtained.

6. Interpretation:- Based on the above steps a correct interpretation is to be obtained.

We trust some sources because the information obtained from such sources are related to some authentic sources like government organisations, a research paper, a real scenario witness etc, also because of the credibility of the peer groups like certain think tanks etc. and individual's achievements like educational qualification helps as to trust a certain source of information while for others not.