Misinformation, Media and Data: Navigating Race, Equity and Inclusion: Evaluate Authority

We are very familiar with formal academic qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
• Post-Doctoral qualifications

Holders of these degrees are respected with increasing levels of authority due to the course of study and associated research that they have undertaken. Factors contributing to authority by education include:

• Degree subject, especially any specialty focus
• Thesis or dissertation topic researched
• Degree level achieved
• Esteem of the degree-granting institution, in general and for the discipline studied

To evaluate the authority of an individual based upon their education, you might look for:

• Resume/C.V.
• Employee profile or faculty information page

While education and professional experience are traditional indicators of authority, personal experience of an event or engagement with an issue are important to consider.

Consider the perspectives of a variety of individuals around an issue and what they could contribute to a more complete understanding of its impact.

For example, consider the following stakeholders' perspectives about the impact of tourists on a national park. What is their engagement with the problem, what is their motivation, and do they have potential bias in their outlook?

• Park preservation manager
• Park fundraising/grant writing manager
• Local municipality traffic/road officials
• Local residents
• Regional educators who bring classes to visit the monument
• National Park Service official
• Ranchers with grazing rights
• Local Board of Tourism

We recognize people who have lots of professional experience as being authorities in their field. Many professions recognize achievement and advancement with promotions and ranks. For example:

Academics:

• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Department Chair
• Dean

State Agency:

• Wildlife Biologist I
• Wildlife Biologist II
• Wildlife Biologist III
• Wildlife Biologist IV
• Assistant Scientist
• Associate Scientist
• Senior Scientist

For a given research topic, the authority of a professional is not merely determined by seniority or level of position within an organization. The relevance of their current and previous work to the research topic in question is significant.

To evaluate the authority of an individual based upon their work experience, you might look for positions held and works published:

• Current employment/title in credentials listed on an academic paper
• Resume/C.V.
• Employee profile or faculty information page

*And consider if the current or previous affiliation might introduce bias or very specific perspective on an issue

The authority attributed to a person by virtue of their societal position can vary substantially by context, especially across cultures and countries. Types of consideration can include the influence or role of:

• Ethnicity/race/nationality
• Gender
• Age
• Faith/religion/philosophy
• Political affiliation
• Economic status
• Employment role
• Duration of connection with the community
• Fame or infamy, trust or distrust within the community

To understand this type of authority, it may be necessary to research the importance of societal factors that yield influence in a particular community context.