Not sure where to begin?
We recognize that many students will begin their search by performing an internet search for their topic. So, let's learn how to determine if the information you find on the web is appropriate to use in your research.
Let this be a beginning step in your research, not the only step.
Is the resource you've found on the web a good resource? How can we tell?
Modified from Mike Caulfield's SIFT (Four Moves), which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Why might an Internet search be a good place to start? Discovery
What makes a good resource?
Relevancy - Does this source deal specifically with your topic?
Scope - Does this source only mention your topic briefly or does a substantial portion of the resource discuss your topic?
Currency (as applicable to the topic) - When was this piece written? Does the age of the source affect its relevancy to your topic?
Credibility/Reliability - Who is the author? Do they have the authority to speak about this topic? What are the author’s credentials? Has this resource been reviewed by other experts in this field of study?
Purpose - Informative vs. Persuasive. What is the intention of this source? Is the author trying to persuade you or is the author presenting information? Is there a bias you should be mindful of?
Currency
Relevancy
Authority/Accuracy
Purpose/Point-of-view
Sources are divided into two main groups; primary and secondary.
Example:
The first book on the left, I am Not Spock, was written by Leonard Nimoy and is his personal account of his experiences of portraying the character of Spock in the television series Star Trek. The next book, Star Trek: Movie Memories, was written by William Shatner who portrayed the character of Captain James T. Kirk and discusses his experiences during the creation of the Star Trek films. Each of these sources says to us, "I was there; this is my experience." These are primary sources.
The last book, Star Trek as Myth, is a collection of essays about Star Trek. This book is comprised of the different authors' interpretations and analysis of the mythology of the television series and films. This book says to us, "I wasn’t there, but I watched Star Trek and these are my thoughts on the matter." This book is a secondary resource.
Peer-reviewed simply means that the article’s content has been checked by other experts in that specific field of study for accuracy and reliability. These resources are also often referred to as scholarly articles or academic articles.
5 Clues that the article is peer-reviewed:
Courtesy of the MIT Libraries