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Traveling Through Bookshelves:
Evaluating Sources
You just received that assignment and are on your way to the library to begin looking at sources.
You get inside, catch a wave of the stifling heat, and a hint of the moldy mildew. You look around and are
floored by the labyrinth of bookshelves and row upon row of computers. You walk mindlessly through
the aisles, feeling the migraine pressing against your forehead.
Clearly, much as been written about every topic you can possibly imagine. While it may help to
have a variety of sources to choose from, too many can be overwhelming and not all those sources are
reliable. So, how can you tell a helpful text from a rogue one? The following suggestions will assist you
in navigating your way through the bookshelves (or worldwide web).
A) Scholarly
v.
Popular
Sources:
Often, in classes requiring research writing, you will hear your instructor use the terms scholarly sources
and popular sources. But how can you tell a scholarly source from a popular source? What does each have to
offer to your paper? It is best to understand these terms before you begin your research.
The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines “scholar’’ as “one who has engaged in advanced study and
acquired knowledge in some special field’’ (889). Thus, a scholarly source is one that is based on research
conducted by a professional in the field. Their primary function is to inform and they usually assume some
degree of scholarly knowledge on the part of the reader (Olin & Uris Libraries, 2). Such sources typically
cite the author’s own sources and feature few, if any, graphics. Some examples may include The Space
Research Journal and The Research Journal of Business Management.
On the other hand, while they can inform, popular sources are typically not produced by academics.
Rather, they could have been compiled by anyone and they cater to a wider audience. Some examples may
include magazines like Cosmopolitan, newspapers like The New York Times, and novels. Also, popular
sources need not always be in print. Movies, music, life experiences, and pictures are just a few more
examples of popular sources.
For more on differentiating between
http://www.stchas.edu/library/scholar.shtml
scholarly
and
popular
sources,
please
refer
to:
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B) What
Roles
Do
Scholarly
and
Popular
Sources
Play
in
Your
Paper?
Now that we have seen what scholarly and popular sources are, it is time to determine when to use
them. What roles do they play in your paper?
Scholarly sources will provide the academic concepts that will frame your paper. What are the ideas,
concepts, or terms that the assignment asks you to address? In contrast, popular sources primarily provide
you with concrete examples with which to examine those concepts. Combining the two will help move
you towards analysis and interpretation. For example, a researched, scholarly article on how segregation
contributed to the decline of Hartford will provide you with the lens with which to interpret the
interactions you observe on the streets of Hartford (the popular source). How does your popular source
help you to re-see the information presented in the research journal? How do both the popular and
scholarly sources help you see the assignment in question?
You might also take a look at the assignment sheet for insight on the types of sources the instructor is
requiring. Does the assignment require scholarly sources, popular, or a mix? How many of each are
necessary?
C) Where
Did
the
Information
Come
From?
Now that you understand the difference between scholarly and popular sources and what roles
they play in your research paper, we have to look at how you select reliable sources. Just as you are
collecting information with which to write your paper, the writer of the sources you are evaluating also
had to consult other authors. But, how reliable are their sources? This may be a helpful question to ask
yourself before you trust somebody who listened to his brother’s dog.
Take a look at the footnotes and bibliography. Look at the types of sources used in terms of the
following:
•
Are they using scholarly journals in addition to popular sources?
•
Consider the copyright date. Is the information relatively recent? If not, could changing
conditions have affected its results?
•
Who conducted the studies? What are their qualifications and biases?
Often, in the case of charts and graphs, a note about the study that was conducted will be inserted at the
bottom of the graphic. Determining where the author got his information is especially easy when it comes
to evaluating online sources, as articles off the web often contain links to the sources they consulted.
D) Who
are
the
Authors
and
/or
Publishers?
You also may want to give some thought to who put the information out there. Every bit of
information that is produced was put out there by human beings. Unfortunately, it is human nature for
people to look out for their own interests. The next time you are perusing the web or your local library,
take a look at what club, organization, or individual compiled that source. Who are they? What are their
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qualifications? What do they promote? What are their biases? What is their mission statement? How
might those factors have influenced the way they present information?
If you are consulting online sources, be sure to also take a look at any advertisements that might
be featured. Keep in mind that the businesses that are promoted are giving money to the site’s creator.
That means the information contained on the site may be presented in such a way as to keep that
businessman happy. So, who is he? What’s his mission? What are his biases?
The link http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/researchroom/evaulate/web_index.asp provides
additional information as well as an easy to follow tutorial on evaluating a webpage.
E) What is the Domain Name?
Another thing to think of in terms of online sources are the types of domain names your site uses.
Here are some of the more common ones:
.com - this is the most popular domain name. The fact that it is easily recognizable makes it
attractive to both business and non-business interests. Anyone can register under this domain.
.org - anyone can also register under the .org domain, though, it is used most frequently by nonprofit organizations.
.edu - this domain is used by educational institutions.
.gov - the use of this domain denotes that it is a government site. Both state and national
government sites will use the .gov domain. Examples include municipal sites, state service sites
like the Department of Motor Vehicles, and websites designed by the national government.
It is best to approach these domain names with the understanding that the .com domain is used for
commercial websites, whereas .edu and .gov are tied to institutions and thus are more credible for
academic work.
F) How
Do
You
Begin
that
Search?
Now that you have a better understanding of the roles of sources and how to tell a credible one
from one that is not, you are ready to begin your search. But how do you start? Of course, when it comes
to beginning research, like beginning writing, everyone has their own style and approach that suites them.
Thus, what follows is not meant to serve as some kind of manifesto, but rather just to offer some helpful
tips to get you started.
It is easier to begin with the conceptual framework (the scholarly sources). It will help give you a
better sense of what type of popular sources might be appropriate for your particular project. One place
you might turn to look for scholarly articles is a library database. Clearly, every particular database will
operate a little differently but if you are using the UCONN system, you can search for:
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1) Books By:
a) HOMER:
Homer is the UCONN libraries online card catalog. It will direct you to texts
from all the UCONN campus libraries.
b) Interlibrary Loan:
In the event that your campus library does not have the text you need but another
library does, you can request that it be sent to your nearest branch library through
Interlibrary Loan. The waiting time is typically one to three days.
2) Journals By:
a) Subject:
If you click on the “subject’’ tab, you will be directed to a list of disciplines.
Clicking on your chosen discipline will give you a list of what the library
considers to be the best databases for that field as well as a list of the discipline’s
subtopics. For instance, if you select “Literature,’’ you are given the subtopics:
“American Literature,’’ “British Literature,’’ etc. Selecting a subtopic will result
in the list of recommended databases changing to ones that deal with that
particular subtopic.
b) Database:
If you choose to search by database, you will be given the option of typing in the
name of a specific database or browsing alphabetically. Using this search will
supply you with databases linking to journals from various disciplines.
c) Journal:
This link provides you with a list of databases featuring journal articles you can
read online. You also have the options of narrowing your search by subject, title,
or ISSN.
d) Citation:
Clinking on this link will direct you to an electronic form asking you to supply
information about the journal for which you are searching. This will help you
find full text articles throughout UCONN’s library system.
For more information on beginning a search, please visit UCONN libraries at: www.lib.uconn.edu
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On that note, if you are looking online for academic sources, it is probably best to use the
library’s database. Everything in a university database gets peer-reviewed by others within the field and
thus does not get posted unless a variety of professionals within the discipline believe it should be there.
Therefore, it increases the reliability of the academic sources you consult. When it comes to determining
reliable popular sources, you can use pretty much anything as long as you approach those sources with an
understanding of the role they will play in your paper and any limitations they may present.
Helpful Links:
1) Finding a Topic:
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/instruction/tutorials/research/HTML/Topics/topoic00.htm
2) Evaluating Web Pages: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
3) Finding Sources:
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/instruction/tutorials/research/HTML/Finding/finding00.htm
Work Cited:
“.com.’’ Wikipedia. (2009). Oct. 2009 http://www.wikipedia.org
“.edu.’’ Wikipedia. (2009). Oct. 2009 http://www.wikipedia.org
“.gov.’’ Wikipedia. (2009). Oct. 2009 http://www.wikipedia.org
Olin & Uris Libraries. “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals.’’ Cornell
University (2009). Oct. 2009 http://www.library.cornell.edu
“.org.’’ Wikipedia. (2009). Oct. 2009 http://www.wikipedia.org
“Scholar.’’ Def. 3. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 5th ed. 1941. Springfield: G& C Merriam Co.,
Publishers, 1943.
St. Charles Community College Library. “Scholarly v. Non- Scholarly Sources.’’ St. Charles
Community College. Oct. 2009 http://www.stchas.edu