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B. Searching for Recommended Sources

When you need evidence, you may think first of the Internet. However, random Web sites require you to do extra work — checking what’s presented as fact, looking for biases or financial motives, and searching for what’s not stated rather than accepting what is. Such caution is required because anyone — expert or not — can build a Web site, write a blog entry, post an opinion, or send an e-mail. Repetition does not ensure accuracy, reliability, or integrity because the Internet has no quality controls.

On the other hand, when your college library buys books, subscribes to scholarly journals, and acquires resources, print or electronic, these publications are expected to follow accepted editorial practices. Well-regarded publishers and professional groups turn to peer reviewers — experts in the field — to assess articles or books before they are selected for publication. These quality controls bring readers material that meets academic or professional standards. When you need to search efficiently, begin with reliable sources, already screened by professionals.

B1	Seek advice about reliable sources

Although popular search engines can turn up sources on nearly any topic, will those sources meet your criteria and those of your readers? After all, your challenge is not simply to find any sources but to find solid sources with reliable evidence. The following shortcuts can help you find solid sources fast — ideally already screened, selected, and organized for you.

RESOURCE CHECKLIST

Have you talked with your instructor after class, during office hours, or by e-mail to ask for advice about resources for your topic? Have you checked the assignment, syllabus, handouts, or class Web site?
Have your classmates recommended useful academic databases, disciplinary Web sites, or similar resources?
Does the department offering the course have a Web site with lists of library resources or links to sites well regarded in that field?
Does your textbook Web site provide links to additional resources?
Which search strategies and library databases does the librarian at the reference desk recommend for your course and topic?
Which databases or links on your library’s Web site lead to government (federal, state, or local) resources or articles in journals and newspapers?
Which resources are available through the online library catalog or in any periodicals or reference area of your campus library?

B2	Select reliable sources that meet readers’ criteria

If you planned to investigate common Internet hoaxes for a paper about online practices, you might deliberately turn to sources that are, by definition, unreliable. However, in most cases, you want to turn right away to reliable sources. For some assignments, you might be expected to use varied sources: reports from journalists, advice from practitioners in the field, accounts of historical eyewitnesses, or opposing opinions on civic policy. For other assignments, you might be expected to turn only to scholarly sources—also identified as peer-reviewed or refereed sources— with characteristics such as these:

in-depth investigation or interpretation of an academic topic or problem
discussion of previous studies, which are cited in the text and listed at the end for easy reference by readers
use of research methods accepted in a discipline or several fields
publication by a reputable company or sponsoring organization
acceptance for publication based on the author’s credentials and reviews by experts (peer reviewers) who assess the quality of the study
preparation for publication supervised by academic or expert editors or by authors and professional staff

Your instructors are likely to favor these quality controls. Your campus librarian can help you limit your searches to peer-reviewed journals or check the scholarly reputation of sources that you find.