MVHS Research Projects

Choosing Reputable Sources

Types of Sources

Your research should include a variety of sources. Documents to consider include:

• Editorials

• Essays

• Maps

• Charts

• Articles

Is the Source Reputable?

Is it essential that you screen the information you gather to ensure that it is relevant and reputable—based on the purpose of your research, ask yourself the following:

• What source or what kind of source would be the most credible for providing information in this particular case?

• Which sources are likely to be fair, objective, lacking hidden motives, showing quality control?

Source Selection

Whenever possible, try to select from sources that provide all or most of the following information:

• Author’s name• Author’s title or position• Author’s organizational affiliation• Publication/creation date• Author’s/publisher’s contact information

Good Bets

• Scholarly journals• Books/essays/articles by respected experts• University/high school sponsored

research databases (see link on my website)• University and government websites or

respected organization’s websites (e.g. nonprofits)—be sure information is from the organization and not from individual within organization whose credentials can’t be verified!

Peer Reviewed Sources

• Always try to find “Peer Reviewed” sources (sometimes called “Refereed”)

• How do you know a source is Peer Reviewed?

• To verify that a publication is peer reviewed, go to the EBSCO Host database, click the “Publications” tab,and search the name of the publication

Sources to Avoid

• Many .coms• Anonymous sources• Sources without contact information• Sources that are also trying to sell

something along with the information they provide

• Sources with bad grammar or spelling• Extremely one-sided sources—ones that

don’t even acknowledge opposing views

CARS Checklist for Credibility

C redibility

A ccuracy

R easonableness

S upport

Credibility

• Author’s credentials (education/training)

• Evidence of quality control (e.g. peer review/respected organization or publication)

Accuracy

• Timeliness

• Comprehensiveness (e.g. How much and how specific is the evidence presented?)

• Audience and purpose

Reasonableness

• Fairness (e.g. no ad hominem attacks)

• Objectivity

• Moderateness

• Consistency

*Note that sometimes even respected organizations are not naturally neutral if they are promoting a particular agenda

Support

• Source documentation or bibliography

• Corroboration

• External consistency

Source Evaluation Practice

• The following slides include web resources identified following a search of the topic “Illegal Immigration.”

• Explain why the source is or isn’t credible.

Source A

• The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration

Source B

• Estimating the Undocumented Population

Source C

• Out-of-Control Immigration

Source D

• United States Immigration Support

Source E

• Illegal Immigrants Are a Factor in State Budget

Source F

• Illegal Immigration Population Dips