Research by Subject: A How-To Research Tutorials Homepage: Choosing Sources

Choosing Your Sources

*Tutorial: Source Types Students will be introduced to a variety of source types that they may encounter during their research. Use this tutorial to help students locate and evaluate relevant sources to meet their research needs.
Video: Peer Review This video will provide students with an understanding of what peer review means, how the process works, why it is an indicator of quality, and how to locate peer-reviewed sources during their research process.
Video: How to Read Scholarly Materials Do your students feel intimidated by scholarly materials? Use this video to help students get familiar with these valuable resources and learn tips for approaching, analyzing, and integrating scholarly materials into their projects.
Tutorial: How to Read Scholarly Materials Do your students feel intimidated by scholarly materials? This tutorial will walk students through the types and components of scholarly materials as well as strategies for strategic reading.
Video: Primary Sources This video will introduce you to the purpose and characteristics of primary sources in order to help them identify the most appropriate type of source for your research needs.

Video: Introduction to Bias This video introduces the idea of bias and prejudice and the importance of awareness of one’s own bias and the bias of others when evaluating sources and situations, and responding to arguments.
Video: Types of Bias This video builds on the introduction to bias video by discussing specific types of bias such as social bias, confirmation bias, and communal reinforcement.
Video: Evaluating Sources Learn some ways to critically think about the information you encounter in print and online. Become familiar with strategies for evaluating sources based on these criteria: authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity.
Tutorial: Evaluating Information Learn how to evaluate a range of resources in order to select the most authoritative sources on their research topic.
Video Tutorial: Understanding Misinformation Identify the characteristics and purpose of misinformation as well as its effect on your personal and academic lives.

Tutorial: Information has Value Use this tutorial to introduce students to the ACRL Frame Information Has Value. Students will become aware of their roles as information creators and consumers and learn how issues like copyright and the digital divide affect their academic and personal lives.
Tutorial: Selecting Appropriate Digital Sources This tutorial will help students identify their information need in order to locate and assess relevant resources. Using the techniques in this tutorial, students will also be able to distinguish among types of online sources in order to select those most appropriate for their information need.
Tutorial: Evaluating Digital Sources Using Lateral Reading This tutorial will introduce students to the practice of lateral reading. Students will learn how to evaluate online materials by digging deeper into the origins and motives behind sites. Students will also have the opportunity to practice lateral reading on their own through a guided activity.
Tutorial: News Reporting vs. Opinion Pieces in Journalism This tutorial will help students differentiate between news journalism and opinion journalism in order to analyze the purpose, standards, and expectations related to reporting and editorializing.