Using the CRAAP test will help you to assess information critically. This focuses on the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of the information source.
Good questions to ask include:
- Who is the author? Do they have expertise in the field?
- How does the author make their argument? Do they back it up with evidence?
- Why did they publish the information? What are their purpose and motivation?
Continue reading: How can I assess information critically?
Some important critical thinking skills are:
Continue reading: What are critical thinking skills?
Proximity operators, such as NEAR (Nx), WITHIN (Wx), and SENTENCE, can be used along with keywords to filter for results that include the keywords within a certain proximity to each other.
Different proximity operators are used to obtain different results. For example, Wx identifies sources where the keywords occur within a specific number of words (x) of each other and in the order listed.
Continue reading: What are proximity operators and how do I use them?
A Boolean search uses Boolean operators (e.g., “AND,” “NOT”) and keywords to narrow or expand search results. You can use Boolean searches to:
- Search exact keywords
- Search keyword variations
- Prioritize keywords
- Exclude keywords
Continue reading: What is a Boolean search?
Make sure you have a clear idea of the parameters of your research and the key terms you want to search. Then choose a database that is relevant to your research (e.g., Cochrane, JSTOR, Medline).
Use specific keywords and their variations and synonyms when searching for scholarly sources.
Some databases have a “subject search” option, which can be useful. Become familiar with Boolean operators to efficiently combine keywords, search for exact phrases, and exclude specific terms.
Continue reading: How do I search research databases efficiently?
When evaluating sources, vertical reading means reading a source (e.g., a website) to evaluate its credibility.
This is contrasted with lateral reading, which means researching what has been written about the source elsewhere in order to help you evaluate its credibility (e.g., searching for references to a website on other websites that you trust).
Continue reading: What is vertical reading?
When evaluating sources, do a preliminary evaluation of each source before you invest time in an in-depth evaluation:
- Find the table of contents to assess the scope of the work
- Scan the abstract, preface, introduction, and conclusion
- Look through the index for important terms and names of relevant scholars.
Continue reading: How can I decide if a source is relevant to my research?
Academic researchers use a range of credible sources in their works. They will typically cite only their primary and secondary sources. The main types of sources are:
- Books
- Academic journals
- Websites
- Encyclopedias
- Newspapers
Your research process is likely to include many of these types of scholarly sources, although the sources used will vary according to the goals and topic of your research.
Continue reading: What are the main types of sources cited by academic researchers?
Knowing how to find the credible sources you need is important when conducting research.
- Check with the library at your institution to see what journals, books, research databases, and other types of sources they can give you access to.
- Search for publications from respected academic publishers and university presses, as these have a reputation for being trustworthy scholarly sources.
- Search for journals that use a peer review process. They are more credible as experts have reviewed the research before publication.
Continue reading: Where can I find scholarly sources?
Scholarly sources are written by experts in the field of study using technical or academic language. Very often they are peer-reviewed before publication, and they will always have a full bibliography. They are usually considered to be credible sources.
Popular sources are written for a more general audience. They are most likely to be written by journalists and may not have a bibliography. Their language is generally less formal, and they might be written from a biased point of view. This means that these types of sources are not always reliable, but can still be used and cited if appropriate to your research.
Continue reading: Is there a difference between scholarly and popular sources?
