Who can you trust?

What makes information trustworthy, or credible? In academic research, we are often asked to find authoritative sources written by experts to provide us with trustworthy information. It may not be possible to guarantee that information is accurate, so finding something written by a person with expertise is the next best thing.*

authority, noun

 I. An authoritative piece of writing.

1. A book, passage, etc., accepted as a source of reliable information or evidence, esp. one used to settle a question or matter in dispute; an authoritative book, passage, etc...

expertise, noun
 (a) Expert opinion or knowledge, often obtained through the action of submitting a matter to, and its consideration by, experts; an expert's appraisal, valuation, or report...

--Oxford English Dictionary

Authority is constructed and contextual

We are often asked to give weight to "authoritative" sources, but what lends a source authority? It is wise to think critically about who is labeled an expert. It’s also important to question authority and how it is constructed. For example, in Western academia, we tend to privilege the voices of people with PhDs or those affiliated with elite universities.

An expert has usually spent a significant amount of time and energy studying their area of expertise. They may have made discoveries or important breakthroughs in their field. They might be a published author or professor. But that doesn't guarantee everything they say is credible, unbiased, or insightful. And there are other kinds of experts: for example, someone who grew up speaking an Indigenous language or honing a craft might be an expert, even if they don’t have a PhD. The nature of expertise depends upon context. 

With that said, if your professor asks you to cite experts or use scholarly sources, you should. It’s an important skill to have in your kit. There’s nothing to stop you from adding a few wild card sources of your own - I hope you will take some joy in exploring different ways of knowing and cite a variety of different kinds of thinkers.