How to Find Credible Sources
Use sources that are up to date.
Use papers, books, and articles that are written by well-respected authors and subject experts.
Use the library databases but be sure not to rely on some of the popular media or newspapers that may be included in them. Stick with the scholarly journals in the library databases.
Websites ending with .gov, .edu, and .ac (government site, educational site, and academia site) are generally considered credible sources.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
Primary sources are firsthand documents that provide direct evidence on your topic. The Library of Congress refers to them as the "raw materials of history--original documents and objects which were created at the time under study."
Types of Primary Sources
| Original Documents | Creative Works | Relics and Artifacts |
|
Diaries |
Art Works | Pottery |
| Speeches | Novels | Decorative Arts |
| Correspondence | Poetry | Clothing |
| Interviews | Music | Buildings |
| Manuscripts | Architectural Drawings | Textiles |
| Government Documents | Photographs | Craft Works |
| News Film Footage | Film | |
| Archival Materials | ||
| Autobiographies |
Secondary sources are accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources. Secondary sources are not evidence, but rather commentary on and discussion of evidence.
Types of Secondary Sources
Tertiary sources are those which index, abstract, organize, compile, or digest other sources. The chief purpose is to list, summarize, or repackage ideas or other information and they are not usually credited to a particular author. Types of Tertiary Sources
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Sources of Information
Information is all around us. Here are some of the main sources of information we use in research:
| Archives | Maps |
| Blogs | Newspapers |
| Books/eBooks | Podcasts |
| Company Profiles | Professional Associations |
| Conference Proceedings | Reference Material |
| Databases | Reports |
| Datasets | Social Media |
| Dictionaries | Think Tank Documents |
| Encyclopedias | Trade Magazines |
| Government Publications | Unpublished Clinical Trials |
| Interviews | Videos and Films |
| Journals | Websites |
| Journal Articles | White Papers |