3.3.4 Authority of the author

Information sources normally indicate who is responsible for the work. This may be an individual author, a corporate author, or a sponsoring agency such as an association or organisation.

Who is the author?

• Are they affiliated with a reputable institution or organisation?
• What are their qualifications and experience?

Most scholarly publications will list the author’s qualifications and affiliated institution or organisation.

Example from Wiley Interscience

Books usually contain some background information about the author.

Some Web pages clearly indicate who compiled or produced the information, usually in a link to About us, or About this site.

Some publications give no indication of authorship or responsibility. If you cannot determine who the author is, or their level of expertise, reconsider the authority of the resource.