When you begin researching for an academic paper or assignment, finding the right sources and understanding how to use them effectively can feel challenging. This guide offers practical steps to clarify your research questions and find credible information.
Identifying types of sources
What are the different types of research sources—credible, scholarly, and popular—and what’s appropriate for your assignment?
Finding reputable popular sources
You’ve found some potentially good sources. If it’s a popular source, such as a webpage or magazine article, how do you know if it’s reliable?
Finding reputable scholarly sources
Your professor might require that you find and use “scholarly” sources. What does that mean, and how does a “scholarly” source differ from a “popular” one? How do you find these sources?
Getting help from the Newman Library
All students at the School of Professional Studies have access to the Newman Library. The Newman Library Reference Librarians can help you with quick research questions, or you can make an appointment for a longer research consultation and work on identifying search terms and searching library databases (either in person or by video chat). Day, evening, and weekend appointments are available.
Ask a Librarian (quick questions)
Schedule a Research Consultation (more in depth assistance)How to read scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles
⮕ Next step: incorporating research
Once you have gathered enough sources, you’ll want to focus on effectively incorporating their information and arguments into your writing.
