Finding Reliable Sources

Credible in providing the information necessary for your topicFairObjectiveLacks biases/motivesQuality control

Identify suspicious or questionable sources

A good source should identify as much of the following as possible:

Author’s nameAuthor’s title/positionAuthor’s Organizational AffiliationDate of page creation/versionAuthor’s contact informationIndicators of information quality

AnonymityLack of Quality ControlNegative Metainformation

All reviews are critical—one-sidedBad grammar or misspelled words

Carelessnessignorance

CARS

CredibilityAccuracyReasonablenessSupports

Goal: authoritative source; good evidence that you trust!

Known/respected author—trustworthyAuthor’s credentialsEvidence of quality controlOrganizational support

Goal: information that is correct today

Up-to-dateFactualDetailed/exactComprehensiveAudience and purpose: reflected intention of

completeness and accuracy

Goal: engages subject thoughtfully and reasonably; concerned with the truth

Fair/reasonedBalanced/objectiveNo conflict of interestAbsent of fallacies or a slanted tone

Goal: provides convincing evidence that you can triangulate (find other sources that support it)

Listed sources/corroborationContact informationDocumentation supplied

Click the following link and identify the

information provided on the site that proves it’s a reliable source:

http://www.webmd.com/

Are these sources reliable??

http://www.iampanicked.com/anxiety-articles/symptoms-of-depression.htm

http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=123436,00.html

Beware of what you read on the internet

Search for indicators of trustworthiness!!

Make sure your source is meaningful to your research!!

Your topic is acid rain and its effect on automobile paint. Would you be more likely to find relevant information in:

A. A brochure advertising Ford’s newest “Green” models

B. A National Geographic article on changing weather patterns

C. A study conducted by BMW on exterior paint for cars

D. ICAR research on automobile safety in hurricane force wind and rain

For a research paper on the history of the sport of lacrosse, which website will be the most relevant and reliable?

A. www.lacrosse.com (home page of the Great Atlantic Lacrosse Company, which sells lacrosse equipment)

B. www.lacrosse.org (home page of US Lacrosse; the governing body over men and women’s lacrosse teams in the US)

C. www.lacrosseuniversity.com (website of Lacrosse University in Bay St. Louis, MS)

D. www.warriorlacrosse.com (website of manufacturer of lacrosse equipment