Q. My instructor wants us to use credible sources. How do I know what's good?


Answer


Many instructors want you to use factual information that appears in reputable scholarly journals or books rather than opinions or unreliable sources found online from an unknown party.  Most of our library databases let you limit your search to scholarly resources, but even those can include opinionated sections that may not be what your instructor wants.

First, make sure you know what types of resources are acceptable for your assignment!  Sometimes newspaper articles are acceptable, but sometimes they are not! Book reviews in a scholarly journal may be ok, but maybe not! So check with your instructor or check your syllabus for specific resource types that are allowed or not allowed.

Need to learn how to evaluate resources?

  • Read the script or view the tutorial about Evaluating Resources!