Over the decades Gene Sherman became expert at gathering news, assessing the reliability of sources, and using the right word.

In scholarly writing, an important objective of classifying sources is to determine the independence and reliability of sources.

Ruth Scodel notes that, due to lack of evidence and doubtful reliability of sources, we know nearly nothing about tragedy's origin.

These issues are also crucial in assessing the reliability of sources: Bede is the only substantial source for details of Chad's life.

Accordingly, each counterintelligence organization will validate the reliability of sources and methods that relate to the counterintelligence mission in accordance with common standards.

They should lead to better intelligence estimates based on reporting from all 15 spy agencies, looking carefully at the reliability of sources, acknowledging information gaps and reporting dissent.

Likewise, when the decision-maker receives an intelligence estimate, he or she should have the opportunity to ask questions concerning not only how the analyst reached a particular conclusion, but also questions concerning the reliability of sources.

A standardized system is used to rate the reliability of sources and the likely accuracy of the information they provide; information may be classified as true once it is confirmed by a number of sources.

The most remarkable aspect of last week's Congressional testimony on the new procedures by Mr. Negroponte's deputy, Gen. Michael Hayden, was the acknowledgment that analysts were often prohibited from examining the nature and reliability of sources used by their own and other intelligence agencies.

In 2011 a federal judge dismissed the suit, finding that the case centered on academic freedom and stating "The ability of the University ... to determine the reliability of sources available to students to use in their research falls squarely within the University's freedom to determine how particular course work shall be taught."