Any time you are asked to write a research paper, your teacher will require a certain amount of credible sources. A credible source means any book, article, image, or other item that accurately and factually supports the argument of your research paper. It is important to use these kinds of sources in order to convince your audience that you have put in the time and effort to really learn and understand your topic, so they can trust what you say.

Why Be Skeptical of Internet Sources?

The internet is full of information. Unfortunately, it is not always useful or accurate information, which means some sites are very bad sources.

You have to be very careful about the information you use when making your case. Writing a political science paper and citing The Onion, a satirical site, would not get you a very good grade, for example. Sometimes you may find a blog post or news article that says exactly what you need to support a thesis, but the information is only good if it comes from a trusted, professional source.

Keep in mind that anyone can post information on the web. Wikipedia is a prime example. Although it may sound really professional, anyone can edit the information. However, it can be helpful in that it often lists its own bibliography and sources. Many of the sources referenced in the article come from scholarly journals or texts. You can use these to find real sources that your teacher will accept.

Types of Research Sources

The best sources come from books and peer reviewed journals and articles. Books that you find in your library or bookstore are good sources because they have usually already gone through the vetting process. Biographies, text books, and academic journals are all safe bets when researching your topic. You can even find a lot of books digitally online.

Articles can be a little trickier to discern. Your teacher will probably tell you to use peer reviewed articles. A peer reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by experts in the field or subject the article is about. They check to make sure that the author has presented accurate and quality information. The easiest way to find these types of articles is to identify and utilize academic journals.

Academic journals are great because their purpose is to educate and enlighten, not make money. The articles are almost always peer-reviewed. A peer-reviewed article is kind of like what your teacher does when he or she grades your paper. Authors submit their work and a board of experts review their writing and research to determine whether or not it is accurate and informative.