Evaluating claims you find on web sites: Your Final Verdict

In summary, mull over the key questions:

• Is the claim clear and reasonable?
• Are the authors in a good position to know the truth?
• Are the authors properly motivated to tell the truth without distortion?
• Additionally, does the publishing process provide quality control?

Can you answer yes to all these? If so, then you have a credible source for your claim! 

A credible source doesn't guarantee that the claim is true. Mistakes happen all the time. But you are justified in believing it is true.

Congratulations!

It makes sense to double-check your thinking with other evaluators.

Integrating the findings of multiple, independent evaluations increases the reliability of your conclusion.