You may find that, for your topic, the best sources are videos such as public service ads, interviews delivered as podcasts or blog posts, or infographics that present information as a combination of words, data, and pictures. Though these may not be scholarly sources, such sources may be perfectly appropriate given your topic, your purpose, and your audience.

Pay attention to the sources of any data you use as evidence. When student writer Sophie Harba entered a debate about the rise of chronic diseases from harmful diets, she used a graph from the United States Department of Agriculture to demonstrate the dangers of the typical American diet. The graph added important and reliable evidence to help answer her research question: Should the government enact laws to regulate healthy eating choices?