Upålitelig

Upålitelig is an adjective used in several Scandinavian languages to describe something that cannot be trusted or relied upon. It is commonly applied to sources of information, data, statements, devices, or processes that fail to meet standards of reliability. The term is formed from a base meaning reliable with a negating prefix, yielding the sense of not reliable.

In practical use, upålitelig communicates skepticism about credibility, often arising from inconsistent results, insufficient evidence, methodological flaws, bias, or potential manipulation. It is frequently used in journalism, academia, and consumer contexts to flag questionable claims. A source described as upålitelig may require corroboration, verification, or rejection.

Assessing reliability involves examining transparency of methods, sample size and selection, reproducibility of results, potential conflicts of interest, and the presence of verifiable data. Distinctions are made between upålitelig information and unverifiable or speculative content; the term emphasizes trustworthiness rather than mere uncertainty.

Synonyms in English include unreliable and untrustworthy; Scandinavian equivalents vary in spelling across languages, but the concept remains the same.

See also: reliability, credibility, verifiability, information literacy.