Resources for Argumentative Writing

When you do any kind of research, you will find there is a LOT of information out there.

Using the Library and searching through Primo for scholarly sources (books, articles, videos, etc.) is one way to limit your resources to credible information, but what about when you are allowed to have ANY resource as long as it is from a "good" source? How do you know if the information you find on the web is credible and reliable? 

Well, you are in the right place, your friendly research librarians got you - below are some tools to help you tell if the information you want to use is from a credible source or not. 

How to use Lateral Reading to SIFT through search results to find credible information. (by Mike Caulfield)
 

Do these four things before you read, share, or use something you found in your assignments.

Why? You do NOT want to add to the spread of misinformation, and just as important, you don't want to get a bad grade because you completed an assignment based on unreliable or false information.

Step 1: STOP​​

Why? Before reading anything from an unfamiliar source (even those that seem legit), you need to know if it's credible.

It's easier to avoid using an article from an unreliable source if you evaluate it before you read the item. 

 Step 2: Investigate the Source

Why? You need to know if the research you want to use is from a credible source before you do anything with the article. You need to make sure the research you are using in your assignments is from credible, legitimate sources so your work will also be credible.

 Step 3: Find Better/Additional Coverage

Why? You likely chose the supporting item because the claim the article is making backs up your thesis statement or helps make your claim. This is the best reason to investigate further. When you look for more coverage, your argument is better researched because you will likely have found more in-depth coverage or a different viewpoint (which is essential in a well researched assignment) and you can make an informed argument with all the available information.

 Step 4: Trace back to the original source

Why? Because altered and modified content is easy to create and is frequently used out of context to convince people of whatever point the creator wants to make. To avoid being tricked, you need to see the original source of an image, a sound, a video, quote, etc. Once you know the original source, you can either decide to ignore the unreliable content (if it is altered) or confidently use the information because it came from a credible source. 

Your professor says you must use scholarly sources for your research. What does that mean? Watch this short video to find out how to identify scholarly sources.