The type of source you use often depends on the type of information you need. A factual-type question might be best answered by a reference book, such as an encyclopedia or almanac. In contrast, a large research project might require using online article databases to find scholarly journal articles. General collection books on a specific topic may aid in synthesizing material and add context to a subject. Web resources are useful for finding current news information, while print sources may be better for more stable or historical topics. When researching, select a variety of sources to ensure different viewpoints on a topic.
Web sources located through a library web site are usually dependable. Information gathered on the Internet, without affiliation with a library or other organization, may not be as controlled, comprehensive, or permanent. However this does not mean you should discount the valuable sources that may be found on the Web.
If you do search the Internet, keep a critical eye on the kinds of sites you are retrieving. See the tutorials Internet Detective and Evaluating Information on the Web for more points to help you evaluate the quality of information on the Web. Evaluation criteria is based on a series of checklists, however in general it is best to apply a holistic approach to thinking critically about each source you use.
See the Online Reference page for a list of starting points for doing research on the Internet. My professor said "don't use the Web." Why? also contains more information on assignments which focus on printed library resources.
Plagiarism is presenting another person's words or ideas as your own. In academic writing, any time you use a work's information or ideas, credit must be given to your source. The only exception to this rule is that commonly known facts do not require attribution.
Plagiarism includes not only the presentation of other's original ideas as your own, but the act of weakly paraphrasing another's writing style and passing it off as your own prose.
Plagiarism is a serious instance of misconduct. Several professional careers have been ruined by the discovery of an act of plagiarism.
As a general rule and whenever in doubt, it is always better to include a citation rather than risk the appearance of plagiarism. Please see the UWM Libraries guide Avoiding Plagiarism for more information.
The purpose of a bibliography (also called "references" or "works cited") is to list the resources you used to write your paper. The main criteria for bibliographic entries are that they:
A typical entry in a bibliography, in this case for a journal article, looks like this:
Bergmann, G., & Spence, K. (1944). The logic of psychophysical measurement. The Psychological Review, 51, 1-24.
When citing materials from the Internet it is important to include both the address and the date it was accessed in case it has since disappeared, moved, or been substantially altered. A citation for an online resource looks like this:
Cable News Network. (2003, June 13). Oscar winner Gregory Peck dies at 87. Retrieved June 21, 2003, from <http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/12/obit.peck/>.
Library materials obtained from online full-text databases do not need to be cited as websites -- they should be cited as a journal article, book chapter, etc.
For more information on citation styles, including samples, please see the UWM Libraries guide What citation style should I use?
RefWorks and EndNote Web may also be used to manage and format citations.
For in depth writing help, visit the UWM Writing Center.
Question #4
What would be the best source for finding current news information?