Ask OASISInteractive Modules on the Fundamentals of Library Research
Finding Articles: Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I find articles on my topic?
- How do I find databases by subject?
- How do I find and search in Thoreau, the multiple database search tool?
- Is there a way to automatically connect the Walden Library to Google Scholar?
- Why am I not finding any results or articles?
- How do I find scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles?
Identify and Evaluate Sources
Publication Types
In a physical library, it is fairly easy to tell if what you are holding is a book, a journal article, a dissertation, etc. However, in an online library, you don't have those physical clues to help you with identifying a resource. If you don't know what type of resource you are looking at, it will be hard to tell if it is appropriate for your assignment or research. On the following pages you will find information about these publication types:
After you've reviewed all of these pages, you can test your knowledge by taking our quiz:
Selecting the Right Resource
After identifying the various types of publications, consider when use of each type might be appropriate.
Please Note: These are general guidelines. Please refer to your discussion, assignment, or capstone rubric for specific requirements.
Primary and Secondary Resources
Primary and Secondary Resources
A question to ask yourself when trying to identify primary or secondary sources is:
Did the person writing the thing do the thing?
While this may sound odd, the best indicator that something is a primary source is if the author of the piece actually DID the work that led to the creation of the resource.
These are some other things to consider with primary and secondary sources.
- Primary and secondary sources can be different publication types. Articles can be primary or secondary, just as books can be.
- Primary and secondary sources are not related to peer review in any way. Peer-reviewed articles can be either primary or secondary sources.
- There is no perfect database limiter for primary or secondary, either. There are no check boxes like there are with with peer review.
- Primary and secondary sources don't self identify as such. Nowhere in a primary source will it say, "this is a primary source." You need to evaluate the resource to figure it out.
Evaluating Websites
The term website might be used to refer to anything you find on the Internet. People often use the word in this general way.
However, there is a distinction between online resources available through a Library database, and websites that anyone can find on the World Wide Web with a search engine.
Evaluating Resources: Questions to Consider
Author
Who is the Author?
- Where does s/he work?
- What else has the author written?
- What qualifies the author to write on this topic?
Publisher
What makes the Publisher trustworthy?
- Who is the publisher?
- When was it published?
- What type of publication is it? (Peer-reviewed journal article, academic book, government document, popular magazine, etc.)
Content
Does the information appear authoritative and supported by facts?
- Is the information presented without obvious bias?
- Is the language objective and not overly emotional?
- Is the information appropriate to your needs?
- Can you verify the information in other sources?
- Does the author provide a list of works cited?
- What makes the content trustworthy?
