Q. What are some things that might subtract from a writer's credibility.

Anon,

Thank you for posing this question.

There are many factsors that may subtract from a writer’s credibility.  Let me list some of the principal rules you should follow when evaluating a source.

a)  Is the Author identified?

b) What are the qualifications/credentials of the Author?  Credible sources are written by authors respected in their fields of study.

l                   c) Objectivity/Bias of Author.  Is the author presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or is the author

                 advocating one specific view of a topic?

 l           d) Has the author cited his/her sources?  Responsible, credible authors will cite their sources so that you can

           check the accuracy of and support for what they've written.

l            e) Does the text follow the follow the rules of grammar, spelling and literary composition?

I hope that this answers your question.  If you have further questions on the subject, please let us know.