The phrase "as a legitimate source" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the credibility or reliability of information or references in a particular context.
Example: "The article was cited as a legitimate source in the research paper, providing valuable insights into the topic."
Alternatives: "as a credible source" or "as a valid reference".
"There's all sorts of bias about what counts as a legitimate source of information and how that's weighted.
It is said that internally it was a big discussion with the executives, but in February 2008 it was accepted as a legitimate source of newsgathering within CNN.
"I see myself as a legitimate source of content online, and I have no reason to believe that I was ever perceived as otherwise.
Why couldn't I just let it go, laugh it off, chalk it up to quirkiness rather than grant it status as a legitimate source of my barely contained rage?
The fact that government and industry would initiate and fund tree-ring research indicates that practitioners recognize paleohydrology as a legitimate source of technical support for water resource planning and management.
Most hiring managers at life sciences companies recognize LinkedIn as a legitimate source of job candidates, and companies are increasingly using LinkedIn to search for future employees, says Ruby Gadelrab, leader of social media initiatives and head of marketing for international markets for the genomic analysis company Affymetrix in Santa Clara, California.
Sei's status as an endangered animal was a legitimate source of outrage, but it wasn't the legal matter at issue; the law that the chefs and the restaurant were charged with violating covers all cetaceans, endangered and not.
The lure is an e-mail that looks as if it came from a legitimate source like Citibank, Visa or Ebay (see box) but did not.
The lure is an e-mail that looks as if it came from a legitimate source like Citibank, Visa or Ebay (see box, p. 97) but did not.
As things currently stand, robocallers frequently disguise themselves by "spoofing" their phone numbers, making it appear the call is from a legitimate source, such as a hospital or police station.
So far as Mr Kissinger was concerned, the Soviet military threat was a legitimate source of concern; Soviet treatment of its dissidents less so.
