CST 100: Principles of Public Speaking (Gower-Loudoun)

There are many sources of information -- websites, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, friends -- and which sources you use depends on your information needs and your assignment requirements.

Always evaluate your sources, even if they come from the library.

For your college research needs, think about whether the source is scholarly or popular. 

Which is more reliable for college research?

• Scholarly sources typically are considered more reliable, due to the expertise of the authors and the rigorous review and editing process. 
• However, popular sources can also be reliable and appropriate, though you may find more opinions there. They also do not typically discuss a topic in as much depth as a scholarly source would. 

Scholarly articles are not always better than popular ones.  Sometimes a newspaper or magazine will serve you better than a peer-reviewed article.  To make the best use of sources, take the time to evaluate them and determine whether they are truly useful for you.

You should be able to answer ‘yes’ to ALL of the following questions about each source in your research.  After reviewing the questions, take a look at the resources below that detail how to determine the answers to these questions.  If you are unsure or need help, consult a librarian.

Remember when using web sources from unfamiliar publishers that you need to use the highest level of scrutiny to evaluate the source's publisher, author, and reputation.  Before using information found on a website, consider the following criteria to evaluate its credibility.

• Who is the author and publisher?
• What are his/her qualifications and/or reputation?
• What is the purpose of the website or source?
• How reliable is the information - can you verify the claims made independently by viewing other sources?

A really important skill to learn when searching the web is lateral reading. View the short video below to learn more about this skill and how you can quickly integrate it into your information searching process to ensure you have high quality sources.