Minutes a day n e w y o r k

The Credibility of Your Sources
As mentioned in Lesson 10, when you use expert opinion or analysis to support your assertions, it’s important to
let readers know who your sources are and what the nature of their expertise is. Of course, you don’t have room
to include extensive biographies or resumes of each source, but some basic information can establish their
authority. If your source is a person, include his or her title, affiliation (does he or she work for a recognized or
renowned organization or institution of higher learning?), and a major achievement or two. If your source is an
organization, let readers know something about its history and achievements. For example, let’s look again at the
expert sources used for the flat tax essay:
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Dr. Alan Auerbach, professor of Economics at the University of California of Berkeley and former chief economist
at the Joint Committee on Taxation, estimates that the average family of four will have $3,000 more in income
per year with a flat tax.
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The Tax Foundation, a nonprofit tax think tank, estimates that America spends $140 billion complying with the
current tax code—a cost that would be reduced 94% by instituting a flat tax.
In the first example, the writer tells readers Dr. Auerbach’s current and former positions, both of which
demonstrate that he is an expert on the subject of taxes. In the second example, the title of the organization—The
Tax Foundation—tells readers that the organization is devoted to the subject. The writer describes it as a “think
tank,” which suggests that it seeks out and employs experts on the subject.