Authority is Contextual

As you investigate an author’s trustworthiness, expertise, and competence, do not neglect to contextualize your findings based on the topic and your information need.

Contexual Expertise

An author’s authority is contextual based on topic because no one is an expert in everything. If an author is a well-renowned tenured professor of herpetology (aka: the study of reptiles and amphibians), then they may be a very trustworthy and competent expert on frogs. However, those qualifications are less relevant if she wrote an article about wolves.

Likewise, be wary of fame or notoriety masquerading as authority. Check your emotions and question whether pre-existing feelings, memories, and experiences of the individual are making them seem more (or less) authoritative than they actually are.

Information Needs

Authority can also be contextual based on your needs. For example, a professor who has only been teaching for a few years may not seem at first like the most authoritative source you could find.

However, if you are researching burnout among early career nurse educators, then the testimonial of a new professor may be exactly the authoritative, first-hand information that you need.

Recognition

Similarly, sometimes opinions and facts are not supported by traditional “authorities” in a field because of long standing prejudices. An excellent example is the knowledge and traditions of indigenous peoples. Because native peoples of the world have historically been seen (incorrectly) as culturally and intellectually inferior, some of the information held by them has not been supported widely by non-indigenous scholars and researchers.

Press & Reporters

Finally, consider that while a journalist or reporter may not be a subject expert on every topic they write about, these professionals do have expertise in researching current and rapidly evolving situations, as well as distilling the information down into succinct and easily-understood articles. Likewise, most traditional newspapers, magazines, and other press agencies ensure trustworthiness through a code of ethics and editorial review.

Limits to Authority

It is important to remember that the authority of the author is not sufficient on its own to prove your argument. This is called an “appeal to authority”, when you argue that a point is valid based solely on the expertise of someone who agrees with it.

Yes, if the author is authoritative on the topic, that lends credibility to the source. However, you must still evaluate relevant facts and opinions thoroughly and effectively argue them in your paper. Simply making an appeal to authority to prove your point is a weak and insufficient argument.