This unit will guide you through the basics of how you can find reliable resources from your library research.

Here you will learn:

the difference between scholarly and popular sources
the peer-review process
how to begin to think critically about sources

Remember that doing academic research is a skill. You will gain proficiency with practice and guidance. There are two more online modules in this series to help you understand basic research skills in addition to this one. You also may have a librarian visit your class, where you will dig deeper. Librarians are ready to assist you with your research either way. You need not do it alone, and we are excited to help you! Ask for help by using the library's chat function or use our Ask-A-Librarian form online and we will reply to you promptly.

Let’s get started!

Popular vs. Scholarly Resources

Take a look at this video to begin:

Carnegie Vincent Library (2013) 4:11 min.

Here is a summary of some noticeable differences between popular and scholarly works.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License Barbera, Jessica; Huff, Jim; Iannicelli, Christine; Sade, Marianne; and Martin, Samantha, "IMLS Sparks Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project Teaching Materials: Scholarly vs. Popular" (2018). IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges. 1. https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/imls_ilframework/1

Peer-Review Refresher

In the "Finding Sources" module, you learned how to find peer-reviewed sources, those that have been vetted by experts before being published, using ONESearch.

Here is a refresher if you need to review the video. You can begin at 2:40 min. for this section.

There is generally no quick way search for truth, reliability, and the best resources for your paper. But with practice and assistance, you will build confidence in your academic research. There is a lot of information and tips on how to do this. One source for help is a research guide (Fake or True? Evaluating Sources), designed by your Miller librarians, that is filled with a lot of information for when you are ready to dive deep.

But for now you many want to start with an ESCAPE checklist to help you think of important factors when evaluating sources, whether you find them through Google, through the library, or another way. The list has helpful questions to apply to how you examine the source in question. Take a look and apply it to a website you are unsure about.

As you learn more about the subjects you investigate, you will find ways to compare what you know to other reliable sources and/or authors in these disciplines. But for now, taking this approach may be helpful. You can always check with your professor, and of course, Ask-A-Librarian !

Test Your Knowledge of Evaluating Sources