What are the most common pitfalls when evaluating sources?

Leverage scientific methods here for conducting research and fact-checking. Utilise the CRAAP test (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose) to ensure the sources you are using to gather evidence are the right ones. The more you practice this, the easier it will be to differentiate credible sources, which gives you and your audience peace of mind that your evidence is strong.

I agree with this statement. In my cases, the official ownership of information becomes crucial. Clarification and verfication to the official bodies shall be conducted to gain an official validation prior to analyse the information.

Cross-check data points and stats or claims with other sources or official reports and databases. Take a critical approach and look for any inconsistencies or gaps in the data provided or any potential biases involved. See if the data and outcomes can be generalised or is the sample is too small for this.

Does this address what you are looking to achieve? It's easy to get distracted by information overload; so it's important to laser-focus your efforts to make sure the source you are using is relevant to your scope. Consider the logical connection between the narrative and the research question or hypothesis to ensure this is existent and something you can interpret in your own words and come to a definitive conclusion.

Utilising out-of-date information is one of the simplest but most common pitfalls when it comes to evaluating sources. Some of the reasons for this are a strong bias to "want" to reach a certain conclusion, a lack of research available, or checking a limited number of sources. This process is an extensive and time-consuming one; however, the result will be evidence-based, factual, and easier to back up your claims with.

This is important to check for biases, sample size, and whether the results and conclusions can be generalised to a larger population or not. Look at the references used and verify the sources. Avoid applying a limited scope to this and instead look at credible publications and databases. The more likely the research can be generalised, the stronger the conclusion and evidence.

Check the footnotes and bibliography. We are most vulnerable when we do a quick Google search for an answer to a particular question. Google and our own confirmation biases can seriously impair our ability to make fact-based decisions.