Premium Essay

Source Research

In: English and Literature

Submitted By gager21
Words 255
Pages 2
Week 2 Discussion Question # 2

What should you consider when searching for useful sources? How do you know when sources are reliable? What are some red flags that indicate you should avoid a certain source?

When considering if a source is useful or not you should ask yourself is this source relevant to what I’m researching, is this source reliable? These two questions will save you from wasting too much time reading articles that have nothing to do with your topic, and also from reading inaccurate information that leads you in the wrong direction. When you are looking through sources you need to make sure the ones you chose to use are reliable, and this requires you to use critical thinking skills as well as the process of elimination. You should always consider the criteria of the source you are considering, what type of source it is, the authors qualifications purpose and audience, any bias or hidden agendas, how current it is, and the overall quality of writing and design. I just started the research on some topics I am interested in writing about and have already noticed just how overwhelming researching is and how important it is to evaluate the sources because there are so many out there that are written with other intentions than to inform about the topic, but rather to sell something or make you feel they do about certain subjects. It is really vital that you carefully evaluate and verify your sources or you could end up being

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Is Wikipedia a Legitimate Research Source

...with access to the Internet. Before the Internet became what it is today, college professors required the use of the library for research and encyclopedias for accredited facts from known contributors to today’s society. It is said that, “Once upon a time, Encyclopedia Britannica recruited Einstein, Freud, Curie, Mencken and even Houdini as contributors. The names helped the encyclopedia bolster its credibility.”(Stross 331) The new millennium of college students has since abandoned the gothic ruins of brick and mortar for modern technology. Hence, as an evolving community of college students, we must consider the use of websites such as Wikipedia for credible sources or not use them at all. The Internet contains a history of creditable sources. It also contains a legacy of anonymous sources. We have relied on the reviews and opinions of others to prove the validity of said information on the Internet and stop challenging it when we read the answer that strikes a chord in our cognitive judgments. If this process continues to be the norm, printed sources such as encyclopedias will leave people saying “This was written by one person? Then looked at by only two or three other people? How can I trust that process?” (Stross 332) Websites such as Wikipedia have become a challenging debate amongst students and professors to be of use as a creditable source from the Internet. This kind of trend has evolved because of history. History can always be re-examined and edited. Wikipedia has...

Words: 624 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Why Wikipedia Is Not a Source of Scholalry Research

...of Wikipedia as a primary source of information, and the effects this has on a fragmented audience. When used as a research tool, user generated content within Wikipedia can have a negative impact on the academic community. The nature of Wikipedia represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between the reader and the publisher. Through illustrating the ease to which Wikipedia offers this information transfer and how this constantly changing state impacts on culture and creative identity and place, I will expose the fraudulent nature of this over exhausted resource. The Hawaiian word for quick, Wiki Wiki is the basis for the name Wikipedia. Every article has an edit capacity, which allows any user, to add or delete content on any page. This Shortens the time frame needed to create, edit and publish content, making it the preferred tool for many people worldwide seeking answers and a path for basic research. Unfortunately it is also interpreted by some, as an authoritive source of information. However there is no gate keeping function in the program to ensure the authenticity of the information which is contributed. In defence, the functionality of the program which allows it to be constantly updated allows quicker access to many audiences and could be argued that it is a good way to stay informed and in touch with current issues. Although Wikipedia is recognised by some as an international success, it is not a well regarded source of research in the academic world. For...

Words: 1445 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Genetics Research/Source Analysis Assessment

...The University of Sydney Foundation Program GENETICS RESEARCH/SOURCE ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT DUE – 1/12/2011 WEIGHTING – 15% TASK- There are 2 Parts to this assessment. Part 1 involves individual research of a specific topic. Part 2 is a 1 hour written examination based on an article given to you a night before the assessment date. The examination contains questions which, in order to answer them, require the information which you have researched. PART 1 - Research/Source analysis task on Gene Therapy. Gene therapy has the potential to treat a number of conditions which hitherto have been untreatable. However, gene therapy has not yet been fully developed and their may be some ethical concerns concerning this form of treating disease. In your research consider the following points: 1. What is gene therapy? 2. What are the advantages of gene therapy as opposed to conventional therapy for some disorders? 3. What procedures are used in gene therapy, eg., what is a vector? 4. Are there some types of cells which are more suitable for gene therapy than other types? 5. What are some conditions in humans which could be potentially treated with gene therapy? 6. Are there any conditions in humans which are being successfully treated with gene therapy on a routine basis? 7. Does gene therapy have any practical potential? 8. What is diabetes? How many kinds of diabetes are there and what are the differences between them? 9. Are there...

Words: 336 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Journal

...in mass media with unsubstantial amounts of evidence to prove legitimacy makes me believe the source is sugarcoating a redundant issue, or story for publicity. Although the information in a newspaper or magazine such as New York Times may be excellent ways of learning what is happening in the world, they are no substitute for scholarly articles in peer-review journals. Therefore, the accuracy of the stories can be harder to discern. 2. How do you approach research? When approaching research, I identify a subject and make sub-subjects and add topics and provide details to each topic. By doing this, I have an organized structure of my subject, with different pieces of information supporting it. When conducting research, a good initial step is to compile a list of relevant literature. A second step is to scan the references to locate relevant articles. A third effective strategy is to Google relevant topics, especially useful resources for information on just about any scholar topic you can imagine. 3. What are the biggest challenges in doing research? The biggest challenges when approaching research I face is finding a reliable source for information. Using incorrect information is not acceptable. Websites such as Wikipedia should also never be used or cited as academic works because the sources are not delineated clearly enough to critique. In addition, Internet sources are so variable. At the one sites where bona fide educational group provide information compiled...

Words: 301 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Psy 101 Week 3 Research Paper Outline

...A++PAPER;http://www.homeworkproviders.com/shop/psy-101-week-3-outline/ PSY 101 WEEK 3 RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE PSY 101 Week 3 Research Paper Outline Research Paper Outline/Sources. The major written assignment for this course is a final Research Paper which is due in Week Five. In order to ensure that you have time to process the material and produce a strong paper, an outline of your Research Paper will be submitted this week. You will receive feedback on your outline to help you make it more effective. Your outline should include major headings for the various theories/points of view you uncover. Sub-headings should very briefly summarize your research that may both support and disagree with each viewpoint (if applicable). Under each major heading a point should summarize your conclusion or view about the major idea. This outline will be your roadmap when creating your final paper. In addition to your outline, you will submit an Annotated Bibliography, for each source you must include the citation as well as a summary of the source and its applicability to your paper topic. You are required to use a minimum of six scholarly sources (excluding the course text) that were published within the past five years and that are cited according to APA guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. These sources will also be used for writing your Research Paper. For assistance with your outline or annotated bibliography, please visit the Ashford Writing Center located...

Words: 264 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Gathering and Evaluating Information

...Associate Level Material Appendix I Strategies for Gathering Information Fill in the following information for each of your sources: • List the APA reference citation for the source. • Determine the credibility of the source. Consider the following criteria: o What is the purpose and affiliation of the organization or author related to the article? o What are the author’s credentials? o Is the information current? When was the information last updated? o Does the information cross-reference with other sources? o Does the source contain bias without evidence to support the claim? • Explain in at least two to four sentences what information you can gather from this source. |Source (formatted consistent with APA guidelines) |What makes the |What information can | | |source credible or |you gather from this | | |noncredible? |source? | |Alvarez, B. (2013). As more schools embrace tablets, do textbooks have a fighting chance. Retrieved from |This author has |This article is about | |http://www.neatoday.org/2013/07/31/as-more-schools-embrace-tablets-do-textbooks-have-a-fighting-chance/ |written information |a school district that| ...

Words: 1127 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Us101 R5 Appendix J Reliablesources Worksheet

...Associate Program Material Appendix J Reliable Sources Worksheet Locate two sources in the University Library on a topic of your choice. Provide the required information for both sources. Source 1 • Author: Milgrom P,Sutherland M,Shirtcliff RM,Ludwig S,Smolen D • Date: 2010 Feb 18 • Title: Children's tooth decay in a public health program to encourage low-income pregnant women to utilize dental care. • Publication: BMC Public health Write a 100- to 150-word response to each of the following questions: • Is the source reliable? How do you know? Yes, the source is reliable as the authors are established authors. They have published the journal after conducting a survey of low income pregnant women in Klamath County, Oregon. They also conducted camps where women from low income groups were given free and regular dental check up so as to prevent the transmission of infectious bacteria from mother to the infant. This is also conducted at other counties, and a statistical analysis of the research and test conducted were studied. The results showed that children of mother in Klamath County were 1.5 times more likely to caries free than the children of mothers of other counties. • Is the information relevant to the topic? Yes, the information is very much relevant to the topic. The tests conducted and the graphs produced from statistical analysis show the results as positive. • Does the information reflect a bias on the author’s part? If...

Words: 567 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Plagiarism

...work “without giving credit or acknowledgement to the author or the source that information is taken from”(Academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au, n.d.). This includes images, ideas and ideological frameworks that have been used or created by another person (Academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au, n.d.). Plagiarism can come in many different forms. For example: directly copying a sentence or significant portions of a sentence without quotation marks (Gethelp.library.upenn.edu, n.d.), “paraphrasing of another's work closely, with minor changes but with the essential meaning, form and/or progression of ideas maintained” (Academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au, n.d.), and even “preparing an original and correctly referenced assignment and submitting part or all of the assignment twice for separate subjects or marks”(Academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au, n.d.). Many of which we do not take note of or do not even realise are cases of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a major problem for people who do not know how to spot and avoid them. The most common reason is due to carelessness. According to Goebel, this comes about when people are not organised in their work which would lead to missing out references or putting the wrong references at the wrong places (Goebel, n.d.). This can be easily solved by being organised and systematic when doing research. To elucidate, when writing an essay or research piece, forward planing is crucial as research for sources is time consuming. When left to the last minute, carelessness due...

Words: 572 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Why Wikipedia Is Not a Valid Source

...Wikipedia started as Nupedia in 2000 and became Wikipedia in January 2001. Wikipedia is known as the free, user complied, open edited encyclopedia written by people who have not done extensive research on a subject. As Wikipedia has become more and more popular with students, some professors have become increasingly concerned about the online reader produced encyclopedia. Plenty of professors have complained about the lack of accuracy or completeness of entries and some have discouraged or tried to ban students from using it. Wikipedia has been the subject of considerable debate for some time now. Several people think the site is not quotable, while others argue that it is. Many teachers do not accept Wikipedia pages as a source of information because any one can add or remove information from such pages. Also, this online encyclopedia does not always cite sources for its articles. Plus it is difficult to find the credentials of the authors. A huge part of credibility is attributed to a sources currency, indicating how recent a certain source has been updated. Wikipedia’s credibility lies within its immediate opportunity to alter, and update a specific topic. One may argue the fact that almost anyone can be an editor of this reference site, which allows opportunity to diminish the validity of certain information. However, once an editor posts information on a topic, the information is examined and removed or edited. With thousands of pages being edited daily, how is it possible...

Words: 725 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Website Analysis Essay

...comparing the websites “19 Natural Remedies for Anxiety” and “Anxiety Disorders: Attacks, Symptoms, Treatment” it’s easy to see which is the more credible source. Finding the right source is important for anyone who is researching a specific topic and when it comes to a mental illness there are many sources to stay away from. For this topic, the website “Anxiety Disorders: Attacks, Symptoms, Treatment” is the better source for a number of reasons. It has more topic specific information, with a wide variety of subtopics covering the whole illness of anxiety and all its disorders. This website also has more professional...

Words: 468 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Week $ Reflection

...Reflective Journal 2 What do you think when you read claims in a newspaper or magazine that seem to be unsubstantiated? I think that the material printed is unconfirmed and not trustworthy. Someone is trying to make a profit on printing false information. If it is not from a reliable source then it shouldn’t be entertained. However, if it is printed to be unsubstantiated material like the tabloids or something and it is strictly for entertainment purposes only then I would not expect for it to hold any weight. How do you approach research? I approach research with the intent of finding out all information needed in order to be knowledgeable of the topic I’m researching. I use different sources to retrieve information such as newspaper articles, the internet, encyclopedias, and people if the topic allows. What are your biggest challenges in doing research? My biggest challenge in doing research is not crediting sources properly. I know it should be in a certain format and order however, I just put them how I see fit. What are some tips that you think will help you and others in conducting research? Some tips that I believe will be helpful to me and others when conducting research is a complete understanding of what the instructors want us to cover. Sort of like a cheat sheet with bullets or guidelines to follow. Provide a list of words commonly used and some alternates words to use in its...

Words: 251 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Personal

...Determining sources to be reliable and relevant and whether or not there is an author bias is based on factors, such as, source accurate, information to validate, and Author bias. The reliability of the source can strengthen your essay or weaken the essay with inaccurate information. Reliable and Relevant Using sources to conduct research on a particular topic it is important that the source be accurate. The information the source is providing will be accurate supported by documentation and evidence as to the validity of the information provided. The information in the source will support the topic, have links, references. The source will have the information you need for your research and best found in school, government or military sites or search engines. These sites support the information obtained, the information is accurate and no information can be added or make changed by just anyone. There are some sources that pass the test of being accurate, but the author is bias to the topic, which gives information that is based solely on the Author’s view of the topic. The source that is considered to by Author bias is usually not supported by references, links or accurate information, and anyone can input data and change information provided in the source. Strengthen or Weaken the Essay When obtaining information from sources it can strengthen the essay by providing accurate, consistent and validation to the essay. The source’s are most likely to be...

Words: 270 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Reliable and Relavant

...Write a 350-word explanation of the following: • How you determined the sources to be reliable and relevant, and whether or not there is an author bias • How this information might strengthen or weaken your essay Format your explanation consistent with APA guidelines. 350 word explanation: Determining sources to be reliable and relevant and whether or not there is an author bias is based on factors, such as, source accurate, information to validate, and Author bias. The reliability of the source can strengthen your essay or weaken the essay with inaccurate information. Reliable and Relevant Using sources to conduct research on a particular topic it is important that the source be accurate. The information the source is providing will be accurate supported by documentation and evidence as to the validity of the information provided. The information in the source will support the topic, have links, references. The source will have the information you need for your research and best found in school, government or military sites or search engines. These sites support the information obtained, the information is accurate and no information can be added or make changed by just anyone. There are some sources that pass the test of being accurate, but the author is bias to the topic, which gives information that is based solely on the Author’s view of the topic. The source that is considered to by Author bias is usually not supported by references, links...

Words: 458 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Paper

...entry, starting with author’s last name or the title of the article. Consult Citation Machine, Noodle Tools, or the textbook Writing Today Chapter 28 for more information about this. See how the first line is flush left; each subsequent line is hanging indented. To do this, highlight the second, third, etc. sentences, and in Paragraph, look for Special; in the drop-down box, click on Hanging, and the indentation should be .5”. Then start your summary paragraph here. You should have several sentences consisting of the authors’ main points plus other relevant points that relate to your research. The author’s credibility should also be discussed here. Next, have the connection to research paragraph, which should consist of a few sentences that indicate the connection of this source to your research. Identify the section of your research outline, from I. to VI., where you will be using this source. An example is below: Clemmitt, M. (2007, July 13). Students under stress. CQ Researcher, 17. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007071300. This article discusses the pressure that students face in public schools today. Homework has increased as has stress caused by high-stakes standardized testing. This type of pressure results in less time for children to play, sleep, and interact with...

Words: 587 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Why Is Wikipedia Reliable

...What website do people usually go to when they are doing a research for general information or they are trying to find a fact about something? The answer for that is pretty obvious: Wikipedia. For years, many of the educators have warned students not to use or trust wikipedia as a reliable source. However, students find information on Wikipedia useful and correct compared to a textbook. Therefore, WIkipedia is a reliable and appropriate source for research because Wikipedia articles are a combination of different reliable sources and authors can write about the topic that they are most qualified to do so. Wikipedia is absolutely a good starting point for research and it directs student to other reliable sources. Wikipedia is a website that gathers a lot of information from other reliable sources. Additionally, the huge amount of information can train students’ literacy skills, especially when they are reading a difficult articles. On Wikipedia, most of the academic articles have footnotes or references at the bottom of the article. The footnotes list all the sources that the information came from. Most of these resources are from reliable academic...

Words: 576 - Pages: 3