Where do you get sources for a research paper?
- books, chapters in books (books are often easier to read than journals)
- journal articles.
- magazine articles.
- newspaper articles.
- Internet Web sites.
Use online scholarly databases such as InfoTrac, LexisNexis, and EBSCO, which provide access to the latest research in hundreds of areas. Newspapers and magazines are also rich sources of information about what is happening now. Consider browsing through the New York Times, TIME, and the Wall Street Journal.
- CORE.
- ScienceOpen.
- Directory of Open Access Journals.
- Education Resources Information Center.
- arXiv e-Print Archive.
- Social Science Research Network.
- Public Library of Science.
- OpenDOAR.
Put simply, a primary source in the sciences would be the original research, data, or material that forms the basis for other research. For example, the first time research about a new scientific discovery is published would be the primary source.
Credible sources include peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, research think tanks, and professional organizations. Major newspapers and magazines also provide reliable information thanks to their high publishing standards.
- Fact checking.
- Sources for different purposes.
- Dictionaries & encyclopedias.
- Books vs scholarly books.
- Types of journals. Peer-reviewed journals.
- News and media.
To begin, credible sources for research are typically found in government pages, scientific journals, and educational websites. This sets the tone for explaining the three major types of good sources to use for research: websites, journal articles, and news.
Only credible, scholarly material is included in Google Scholar, according to the inclusion criteria: “content such as news or magazine articles, book reviews, and editorials is not appropriate for Google Scholar.” Technical reports, conference presentations, and journal articles are included, as are links to Google ...
- Interviews. Interviews sessions can be significant sources of research problems. ...
- Personal Experiences. Your everyday experiences are a good source of research problem. ...
- Deductions from Theory. ...
- Interdisciplinary Perspective. ...
- Relevant Literature.
Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching.
What makes a good source?
It is important to be able to identify which sources are credible. This ability requires an understanding of depth, objectivity, currency, authority, and purpose. Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors.
A reliable source is one that provides a thorough, well-reasoned theory, argument, discussion, etc. based on strong evidence. Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or books -written by researchers for students and researchers. Original research, extensive bibliography.
- An author who is an expert or a well-respected publisher (such as the NY Times or Wall Street Journal).
- Citations for sources used.
- Up-to-date information for your topic.
- Unbiased analysis of the topic (i.e. author examines more than one perspective on the issue).
Take a closer look at the source
Does the article or study have any authors listed? If so, do they cite or link to authoritative sources, or are they writing their own opinions without backing these up with facts? Are their credentials listed? Additionally, check the date of publication.
based on strong evidence.” Widely credible sources include: Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and books. Trade or professional articles or books. Magazine articles, books and newspaper articles from well-established companies.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources.
Lack comprehensive information. Google Scholar is designed to search wide, not deep. When you're trying to learn about a specific market, you need in-depth information, not disparate bits and pieces that leave holes in your research, making you look uninformed.
Disadvantages of Using Google Scholar
Google Scholar's coverage is is wide-ranging but not comprehensive. It can be a research source, but should not be the only source you use. Google Scholar does not provide the criteria for what makes its results "scholarly".
Google Scholar allows researchers to utilize a single, free-online resource to conduct searches within multiple databases, thus increasing researchers' ability to locate articles on a specific topic.
Libraries Search by Article Title
Use the Libraries Search Advance Search template to locate journal articles by the article's title. Set the Field to "Title" and enter the article title. This search allows you to retrieve full-text articles from databases available University-wide, e.g. JSTOR, HeinOnline, PAIS Index.
What does it mean to find sources?
Sharing what you've learned about the topic in your essay demonstrates your knowledge. Quoting or paraphrasing experts in the field establishes your own credibility as an author on the topic.
