Source Types
There are many different source types to choose from when doing research. However, no matter the source type, the evaluation process is the same.
Common source types:
- Academic journals & articles (written by experts or researchers in the discipline)
- Books / eBooks (written by anyone)
- Reference materials (i.e. encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries)
- Newspapers and Magazines (written by journalists)
- Websites, Videos, Media (written by anyone)
- Images (i.e. charts, pictures, infographics)
- Data & Statistics (usually affiliated with organizations, research studies, etc.)
Watch the video below to learn more about these types of sources, including their benefits and drawbacks.
Evaluate Sources
On the open web, information is freely available, but anyone can create and host a site without any regulation, and some sites employ crowd source editing, which can be edited by anyone, such as Wikipedia.
When evaluating sources, go beyond the source (Google it!) and keep these five things in mind as you employ vertical (evaluating the source itself) and lateral reading (checking the accuracy of the source by consulting other sources of information): currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. See the video below to learn more about these methods of evaluating sources.
Watch the video below to learn how to determine if a source is credible.