It's important to evaluate the quality of all the information you find, even content from name-brand providers like Bloomberg.
While almost all numeric data provided by databases available in the FLC and through the library can be trusted, other content - like company and industry reports & analysis, or company and industry news - should be reviewed carefully. If you are using materials from the Web, this is even MORE important.
Think about the following:
- Expertise: Does the author(s) or individuals cited (in case of an article) have any industry, subject or technical expertise?
- Bias: Is there a particular agenda or perspective that is being advocated that is not supported by the data or facts? How neutral or independent is/are the author(s)?
- Discrepancies: Does the headline match the facts or data being referenced?
- Date: How current is the content?
- References: Does the content cite or appropriately reference the data that it uses?
- Reputation: Some sources over time have a reputation for credible, insightful analysis - does the source you are using have this reputation?
- Methodology: Do the models, surveys or other studies conducted explain the methodology used? What assumptions do they make? If sampling is involved, is the sample size and construction appropriate?
