Summary  
This chapter describes how to rigorously validate external data or code sources by checking their authorship, publication date, supporting evidence, domain expertise, and cross-verification with reliable sources.

General domain of usage  
Dependency management in software development.

Not every source found online is equally reliable. Before using information, check where it comes from and how well it supports its claims.

A strong source usually has:

* a clearly identified author or organisation;
* a recent or relevant publication date;
* evidence, data, or references;
* expertise related to the topic;
* information confirmed by other reliable sources.

Also consider why the source was published. A company may present information differently from an independent researcher or government organisation.

Claude should prioritise original sources, such as official reports, research papers, company filings, and government data. Articles and summaries can provide useful context, but important claims should be checked against the original evidence.

Which source is generally the most reliable for official employment statistics?

Build a complete AI-powered research system using Claude Code. You will learn how to turn a broad topic into focused research questions, create a structured plan, find and evaluate reliable sources, and organise evidence in a reusable workspace. Through practical AI Lab chapters, you will create source libraries, compare conflicting information, store findings in a research database, and produce clear research briefs with accurate citations. By the end of the course, you will have a repeatable Claude Code workflow that can be used for future research projects.

Learn what makes a research system reliable and how to prepare a structured workspace before collecting information. You will define research questions, set the scope of the project, and create a clear research plan for Claude to follow.

Learn how to find relevant information and judge whether a source is trustworthy. You will remove weak, outdated, and duplicate sources before organising the strongest results into a structured source library.

Turn collected sources into clear and usable evidence. You will extract key findings, compare sources that disagree, and build a research database that keeps claims, evidence, and source details connected.

Use the collected evidence to develop supported conclusions and create a concise research brief. You will review claims and citations for accuracy before turning the complete process into a reusable Claude Code workflow.

How to Judge a Source