Primary vs. Secondary Sources Primary Source A document written that offers an inside view of a topic and would not require any sources to complete because it’s a first- hand account of the topic Ex: original documents (diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news footage, autobiographies, records, etc.) or creative works (poetry, drama, novels, music, art) Secondary Source A document that offers information about a topic, but research was done to acquire the information (hence, a source list would be present for a secondary source) Interprets and analyzes primary sources – are one or more steps removed from the event (not a first-hand account of the topic) Ex: History textbook, research paper, academic journals, informational books, website, biographies, documentaries, etc.

Primary Sources You must have at least one primary source.

When You Conduct Research… If you want, you can find a primary source OR you can use these methods to make your own primary source: Interviews Questionnaires/Survey Direct Observation s/Letters

Secondary Sources You must have at least two secondary sources: websites, books, magazines, videos, documentaries, etc.

Secondary Sources… Can be print or non-print May have pictures, quotes, or graphics of primary sources in them; however, the primary sources are cited within them

Credible Sources All sources must be credible; don’t listen to the village idiot!

Where Can I go? The dreaded research paper can leave many wondering where to go for info. With the internet being so accessible, it is tempting to type words into Google and use whatever comes up first. You could get lucky and find great sources, or you might find sources that diminish the integrity of your project and topic. Learning how to evaluate sources for research paper writing is a key component to your paper’s success. Here are five tips to help you as you gather your sources.

Start with a simple search -- search engines like Google or Yahoo are actually a good place to start when you’re FIRST reading up on your topic Avoid Wikipedia! Print and digital encyclopedias, such as Encyclopedia Britannica and InfoPlease are good sources. Use online scholarly databases such as InfoTrac, LexusNexis, DOAJ, ProQuest, and EBSCO, which provide access to the latest research in hundreds of areas. Newspapers and Magazines are good sources of information for what is happening now or what has happened in the past (ex: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, The New Yorker, The Economist, and TIME). Don’t forget the library…this is an overlooked resource; there are so many books and magazines that might be perfect for your research

Online Scholarly Databases Available InfoTrac: Full-text databases of content from academic journals and magazines LexisNexis: Provides access to credible legal, business, and news information EBSCO: Database and eBook provider for libraries and other institutions DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals ProQuest: A collection of many academic and business databases JSTOR: More than a thousand academic journals and over a million images

Credibility Definition: Capable of being believed; believable: a credible statement. Worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy: a credible witness. Credibility is important: If your research is flawed, so is your project. If you use credible sources, you can believe them, and your readers can believe you!

“How do I know if my sources are credible?”

1. Look at the author Credible sources are written by authors respected in their fields of study. In other words, they should be an authority on the subject matter (How do you know? Google them!) If the author is not an expert or is not a credible person, reconsider.

2. Date of Publication The choice to seek recent sources depends on your topic. If your source is “out of date”, reconsider. While sources on the American Civil War may be decades old and still contain accurate information, sources on technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current.

3. Author’s Objectivity When deciding which sources to use, you should take the purpose or point of view of the author into consideration. Is the author presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or is the author advocating one, specific view of a topic? It should be clear that the author’s purpose is to inform, educate, and explain. A source written from a particular point of view may be credible; however, you need to be careful that your sources don't limit your coverage of a topic to one side of a debate. If the author seems biased, reconsider.

4. A Source List Responsible, credible authors will cite their sources, so that you can check the accuracy of and support for what they've written. (This is also a good way to find more sources for your own research!) There should be a list of sources that demonstrate the depth of the author’s research that went into writing this source If this “source list” is not present, reconsider.

5. Professional The source should look professional, should be clearly organized and relevant to the topic, should be well-written, and should be free of grammatical and spelling errors. If it is not, reconsider.

Think of your audience You are not only writing to me, but also your peers. With that said, make sure that if you are using sources that are not academic in nature, make sure they are appropriate for your topic.

Watch out for the Internet! Never use websites where an author cannot be determined unless the site is associated with a reputable institution such as a respected university, a credible media outlet, government program or department, or well-known non- governmental organizations. Beware of using sites like Wikipedia, which are collaboratively developed by users. Because anyone can add or change content, the validity of information on such sites may not meet the standards for academic research.

Online Search Tips Most large newspapers are credible: New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, etc. Scholarly journals are usually credible Most government publications are credible (.gov) Reputable organizations are usually credible (.org): American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, etc. Most information from colleges is credible (.edu)

More Online Search Tips You can automatically rule out: Wikipedia!!! Twitter Facebook Blogs Personal websites Etc. UNLESS…you need a personal story from someone and they blogged about it, tweeted about it, etc.

Credible Internet Sources Make it easy to contact the owners of the website for more information or to ask questions Are up-to-date Information from 1991 is not listed as “recent” Have no errors The site uses proper spelling and grammar The website doesn’t look as though it was designed by a four-year-old Are appropriate There is no inappropriate language, graphics, or photos

In other words… The internet offers the BEST information on MANY topics. The internet offers the WORST information on MOST topics. Moral of the story here: You can use internet resources for research papers, but you have to be careful.

Source Search Process Example

#1…Credible?

#2…Credible?

#3…Credible?

#4…Credible?

#5…Credible?

#6…Credible?