Navigate the world of academic resources. Discover the information that powers your research.
Research Foundation
Finding and evaluating sources is the foundational practice of all academic researchthe skill that transforms you from a student into a researcher.
Finding and evaluating sources is the foundational practice of all academic research. It is a systematic, two-part process that enables you to build your assignments on a bedrock of credible, high-quality evidence. It is the skill that separates university-level research from a simple internet search, transforming you from a student into a researcher.
Finding suitable academic sources and using them effectively is an essential aspect of both learning and assessment processes at university. Fundamentally, it is the process of locating credible and relevant materials to support your subject area learning through independent study and wider reading and, of course, the research you undertake and use in summative module assessments and general academic projects.
The first part is finding sources. This is the strategic search for relevant information. While it can start with a broad search, it quickly moves beyond Google to the specialised tools provided by your university library. This includes using the main library search engine (often called a discovery tool like Primo or MetSearch) to find books and articles, and then diving deeper into subject-specific databases (like JSTOR, Scopus, or Web of Science) to find the latest scholarly research in your field.
The second part is evaluating sources. Once you have found information, you must critically assess its suitability for academic work. This is not just about whether it is interesting, but whether it is reliable, authoritative, and appropriate for your purpose. This involves applying a structured set of criteria to judge a source's academic worth and to identify potential bias or inaccuracy.
Effective searching and sourcing of materials requires you to think about your own search strategies and methods and the digital tools you use. You should be aiming to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and validity of the information used in the sources you identify, particularly if you will be using them to support your own arguments and conclusions within your academic work.
Academic Excellence
Mastering the art of finding and evaluating sources is what elevates your academic work from adequate to excellent.
The quality of your academic workyour essays, reports, and dissertationis entirely dependent on the quality of the evidence you use to support your arguments. In UK Higher Education, you are explicitly marked on the quality and range of your research.
Using high-quality, scholarly sources is a direct route to higher grades, while relying on unreliable information leads to weak arguments and poor marks. Marking criteria frequently include points for the 'range and quality of research' or 'use of scholarly evidence'.
When you delve into academic databases, you uncover sophisticated debate and cutting-edge research. Evaluating sources develops the analytical mindset central to higher education.
Research skills foster intellectual independence and are essential for professional success. The ability to find, evaluate, and synthesise information is a core competency in countless professions.
Systematic Approach
Effective source finding requires a strategic approach: start broad, then get specific, and always begin with your library's tools.
Effective source finding requires a strategic, systematic approach that moves from broad overview searches to specific, targeted research using specialized academic tools.
Use your library's search engine as your gateway. Tools like Primo or MetSearch search across books, e-books, and journal articles simultaneously. It's the best place to get an overview of a topic and identify key themes and authors.
These tools offer utilities for collating, storing and making notes on sources, and can send references directly to reference management tools like EndNote or Zotero.
Don't type whole sentences. Use keywords and Boolean operators to refine searches effectively.
Example: ("social media" OR "Facebook") AND ("mental health" OR "wellbeing") AND ("teenagers" OR "adolescents")
Quotation marks search for exact phrases, while Boolean operators help combine and refine your search terms.
For in-depth research, use specialized databases your library recommends. Find your subject guide to identify the best databases for your field (e.g., PsycINFO for Psychology, Business Source Premier for Business, JSTOR for humanities).
These provide access to the latest scholarly research and allow deep searches aligned with your research topic.
Evaluation Models
There are several acronym-based models that help you remember key steps when evaluating sources for relevance and reliability.
There are several acronym-based models that can be useful in learning and remembering the key steps and considerations you should make when evaluating a source for relevance and reliability. These methods are an effective means of quickly assessing which sources are worth pursuing further and which can be discarded.
You really need to be asking the all-important question: Are my sources CRAAP?
In order for your own academic work to be reliable and assertive in the arguments you are making, you need to ensure the source materials you are using are credible and valid. A simple approach is to apply the CRAAP testif they pass they are through to the next round; if not, you can discard them for being CRAAP.
Currency: When was the information published, revised, posted, or updated? Consider whether the information is still current and relevant to your field.
Relevancy: Does the information relate to your topic, or answer your research question? Ensure the content directly supports your academic arguments.
Authority: Who is the source? What are their credentials? Are they recognized experts in the field with appropriate qualifications?
Accuracy: Is the information provided supported by evidence, statistics, etc? Can these claims be easily verified through other reliable sources?
Purpose: What's the purpose of the information? For example, to educate, to sell, to entertain? Understanding the author's motivation helps identify potential bias.
Consider whether the source aims to inform objectively or persuade you toward a particular viewpoint.
You really need to be asking the all-important question: Is this source on my RADAR?
This second acronym-based model for evaluation probes a little deeper and asks the types of critical questions you should be asking of any source when undertaking academic reading.
Rationale: Rationale and motivation shape content and purpose. No information is completely devoid of bias. Assess whether diverse viewpoints are grounded in solid reasoning and supported by evidence.
Authority: Experience, expertise and specialist knowledge hold greater command and are viewed as more trustworthy than those without similar reputation.
Date: Currency is important due to the speed with which academic fields progress. However, certain publications stand the test of time, particularly for historical context.
Accuracy: Accuracy serves as a foundation for credibility and informed decision-making. It ensures constructive communication and upholds academic integrity.
Relevance: Relevance dictates the alignment of information with the subject matter at hand. When presenting ideas, it is essential to substantiate them with information that directly pertains to the topic.
Maintaining relevance ensures coherent, meaningful communication and supports your academic arguments effectively.
Important academic sources will include required, recommended and further reading textbooks from your module reading lists, but you will also be expected to conduct your own research of academic sources as part of written assessments, especially dissertations or large projects. You should be actively seeking out influential and specialist academic sources relevant to your topic area.
Influential authors: Every academic field has important authors making contributions to academic knowledge. Familiarise yourself with recent and contemporary authorsyou'll recognise their names from regular citations.
Significant books: Invest research time in identifying important publications that have left an indelible mark within your field. Consider why these books have made such an impact and their legacy to the subject area.
Edited volumes: Books addressing specific topics with chapters by different prominent authors. They help you quickly gain insight into key authors, provide useful overviews, and offer both broad context and deep specialization.
Journal articles: Peer-reviewed articles are primary sources of specialist academic learning. The gold standard is a peer-reviewed journal articlechecked and approved by experts before publication.
Industry publications: Academic fields related to professional practices draw on publications relevant to both academic study and professional applicationuseful for contemporary issues and real-world applications.
Subject-specific encyclopaedias: Great for finding concise overviews of important theories, models, and methodologies. They provide academically reliable understanding of niche areas and specialist terminologies.
Expert Help Available
When in doubt, your subject librarian is an expert resource who can help you navigate research challenges. They know the best databases for your field and can guide you to high-quality sources.
Research challenges are common for students at all levels. Understanding these challenges and their solutions helps you become a more effective researcher.
A frequent challenge is information overload. A broad search can return millions of results. The solution is to refine your search using more specific keywords, Boolean operators, and the filter options in the search tool (e.g., filter by date, source type, or peer-review).
Another common issue is hitting a paywall when searching on the open web. Never pay for an article! Your university library pays huge subscription fees so you can access it for free. To get access, always start your search from the library website or use its browser extension.
Many students are initially unsure what constitutes a 'good' scholarly source. The gold standard is a peer-reviewed journal article. This means the article has been checked and approved by other experts in the field before being published. Most library databases will have a checkbox to limit your search to only peer-reviewed content.
Transformation Goal
This transforms you from a passive consumer of content into an active, critical thinker, which is the ultimate goal of a university education.
By mastering the practice of finding and evaluating sources, you become an independent and discerning researcher. You will be able to efficiently locate high-quality, credible information on any topic, forming a strong evidence base for your academic work.
This leads directly to more sophisticated arguments, better-written assignments, and higher grades. More importantly, you will have developed a lifelong skill in information literacy. In a world saturated with information and misinformation, you will possess the critical capability to assess sources, identify bias, and make well-informed judgements.
All of the foundational elements discussedfinding and using a range of sound academic source materials from different sources and of different typesare just the first steps in enhancing your ability to engage with and master complex concepts and theories, become adept in applying challenging methodologies and practices, as well as becoming supremely proficient in giving your assessors the evidence they need to award you top marks all the way.
This section provides a comprehensive list of all key terms used throughout this guide. Hover over any term to see its definition.
academic databases academic confidence bias Boolean operators core competency credibility credible information critical thinking critical thinker databases degree classification discovery tool discerning researcher evaluating sources evidence-based practice finding sources information overload information literacy informed decisions intellectual independence library search marking criteria misinformation paywall peer-reviewed rigorous scholarly material scholarly source scholarly evidence scepticism