People can develop authority or expertise in many different ways. Education, life experience, employment history & credentials, research experience, and other factors contribute to the level of any individual’s authority. No one is an authority on everything and expertise can be an easy thing to fake, especially in an online environment.
This activity is designed to help your students develop a habit of looking for an author’s expertise. Judging an article or a website based on the author’s qualifications to write on the subject is a good way to assess the value and relevance of any piece of writing. Students will read an opinion article and assess its quality based on the author’s authority.