Primary Sources

You must have at least one primary source.

Four Types of Primary Sources

Interviews QuestionnairesDirect ObservationEmails/Letters

(Refer to the models for more information on each type!)

Make sure to choose a topic based on primary sources. For example, it might be difficult to find a primary source about WHALES in Michigan. I could send an e-mail, but what if I don’t get a response? THINK AHEAD!

Secondary Sources

You must have at least four secondary sources: two online

texts, one print, and one other (video, testimonial,

etc.).

Secondary Sources…

• Can be print or non-print (online)• Interprets and analyzes primary sources• Are one or more steps removed from the event• May have pictures, quotes, or graphics of

primary sources in them.

• Examples:• a textbook• a magazine/news article• an encyclopedia• etc.

Credible Sources

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

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 essay.

•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.

• 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!)

2. Ask: When was the source published?

• The choice to seek recent sources depends on your topic.

• While sources on the American Civil War may be decades old and still contain accurate information, sources on information technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current.

3. Figure out the author’s purpose

• 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?

• Who is funding the research or writing of this source?

4. Think of your audience

• If you are writing for a professional or academic audience, they may value peer-reviewed journals as the most credible sources of information.

• If you are writing for a group of residents in your hometown, they might be more comfortable with mainstream sources, such as Time or Newsweek.

• A younger audience may be more accepting of information found on the Internet than an older audience might be.

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)

• Well-known 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.

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 “recen

t”• 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

researchpapers, but you have to be careful.

Source Search Process Example

#1…Credible?

#2…Credible?

#3…Credible?

#4…Credible?

#5…Credible?

#6…Credible?

While you search …

• Keep in mind that you must locate five credible sources:• One primary• Four secondary

• Two non-print• One print (we’re going to the media center on

Thursday, but feel free to get one on your own)• One other (video, testimonial, etc.)

• Save every website, video, etc. URLs in a Word Document until you’ve narrowed everything down to your final ones.

Also…

• Your final research paper will be two or three body paragraphs, which means you’ll need two or three main points in which you’ll inform your readers about:• Example:

• If my research question is How are vampires portrayed in movies and TV shows?, perhaps I could have one body paragraph on the fascination of Twilight movies, another paragraph on popular vampire TV shoes from the past, and another on historical vampire representations.

• With that said, my research should be focused on THOSE three topics.

Schedule

• Friday: Finding credible sourcesOnline research

• Monday: Online research

• Tuesday: Print research in Media Center

• Wednesday: Writing workshop

• Thursday: Final sources due