Finding Sources

Nowadays, most students looking for sources begin with a web search using popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Ask.com. While these search engines can find reliable information, they are seldom the first place students should begin looking. Anyone can create a web site on a topic. General Internet searches may pull up sites by children, sites designed to market a particular product (which could lead to bias in the information), sites by amateur hobbyists, or even "crackpot" sites. All of this makes it difficult--and time consuming--for a student to verify that the information found is reliable.

Other sources students often turn to are dictionaries and general encyclopedias like Britannica or Wikipedia. Print encyclopedias like Britannica, World Book, Encarta, or Grolier may contain reliable information, but these are seldom good sources for students because they are too general. In fact, most teachers will not allow students to use sources like these. Further problems can occur with online encyclopedias like Wikipedia because information in these may not have been verified by anyone.

The best place to find reliable information on a topic is a school or local library. In addition to books, magazines, and journals, many libraries, especially school libraries, may subscribe to online content that has been carefully reviewed for accuracy and reliability. These databases of online materials provide students access to a wealth of up-to-date, reliable, and relevant information which can often be sorted by topic or purpose.

ENGL1010 Composition I