If we pay attention to its etymology, this term literally means worthy of faith. Thus, a person is trustworthy if he can be trusted. Similarly, a source of information or evidence in court receives this qualification if it appears reliable and credible.
Reliable information
Through the media there is all kinds of information. When we access it, we want to think that what is written or said is totally true. However, the information is not always reliable. This can happen for several reasons: because the journalist has made a mistake, because there is a clear intention to lie or because a half-truth is told. In any case, if what is communicated does not correspond to the truth of the facts, we are dealing with unreliable information.
Reliable information on the internet
When we search for information on the internet, we should ask ourselves if the page consulted provides reliable content. We have at our disposal a large amount of data and references, but we do not know for sure if this information is true or not. While there is no absolute guarantee to differentiate the true from the false on the internet, it is possible that our online searches are more rigorous and reliable.
In this sense, we can mention some recommendations to improve the search for quality information on the web:
1) verify that the source of information is reliable (data provided by a university is normally more rigorous than data provided by a personal website),
2) search for information in more specialized search engines (for example, academic google is preferable instead of the current version),
3) avoid consulting information on pages related to entities that do not start from a neutral position,
4) investigate that the person issuing information has a recognized and prestigious track record and
5) look for evidence and references that prove the authenticity of the information (serious sources offer references, since they indicate where they have obtained the information). These guidelines do not guarantee that the information is completely accurate, but at least they are a guide that can help in your internet search strategy.
Reliable evidence in the field of law
A judge has to assess some facts in a meticulous way to issue a final sentence. For this you need conclusive evidence and certainties, otherwise you will not have sufficient evidence to judge.
There are two types of evidence: those that are reliable and those that are not. A proof is trustworthy and, therefore, reliable, if there is any guarantee that it is authentic. At present, the police forces have a scientific police department and its main function is precisely to provide information about which it is not possible to doubt.
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