Help with Finding & Evaluating Sources
- Contact / Schedule Appointment - Nursing, Kinesiology, and Health Sciences LibrarianNot sure where to start your literature search or if what you have found is reputable? Your librarian is here to help via email, online chat, Webex/phone, or face to face appointment.
- Wright State University Libraries "How to" ResourcesShort introductions on how to navigate the library's resources. Menu is on the left side.
General CINAHL HelpWright State University's CINAHL Help Guide.
General PubMed HelpWright State University's PubMed Help Guide.
Stop Searching and Start FindingSorting through different information sources can be stressful. You’ve heard that using the library databases give you better results, but they can be confusing and overwhelming. In this workshop, we demystify databases and offer suggestions that will help you to find better results faster and easier.
Simple Steps to Reading Scholarly ArticlesAre you dreading reading through those 8-20 page articles you found for your paper? Do they seem like they are written in a different language? Never fear! In this workshop, you will learn strategies for making sense of those long, and let’s face it, sometimes boring, articles. Funds for the creation of this workshop were provided by the Students First Fund, a grant program created by the Wright State University Foundation.
Evaluating Information: Media SourcesHow do you know if the article you found is good enough to use for your assignment? Learn strategies for evaluating sources whether you find them on the Internet, in the library, or in the library’s databases.
Integrating Your SourcesYou’ve searched for articles and books and you have a list of sources that are on your topic. Now how are you supposed to use them in your paper? In this workshop, staff from the Writing Center and a librarian will take you through the process of integrating those sources in your paper. Learn how to quote and paraphrase while avoiding plagiarism and keeping your voice the focus of your paper.
Citing Your SourcesWe all know that plagiarism is bad, but is avoiding plagiarism the only reason to cite? Why do we have to follow all the pesky rules about capitalization, punctuation, and numbering? And why are there so many different styles? In this workshop, we provide an overview of the reasons for citing, guidelines for when to cite and when it's not necessary, and how to find answers to your questions about formatting.Funds for the creation of this workshop were provided by the Students First Fund, a grant program created by the Wright State University Foundation.
Evaluating Websites and Other Sources
Before you rely on ANY type of information (websites, media, books, articles), you should evaluate whether the source is credible. The checklists are different approaches to the same process and this is not an exhaustive list. Other approaches and checklists are available. Use the approach(es) that work best for you, but be sure to evaluate!!
- Evaluating Sources Using Comparison and CorroborationA method for thinking critically about the credibility of web sites without relying on a checklist.
- Evaluating Information Sources Using the 5WsOER Commons-hosted and Creative Commons-licensed tutorial by Rachel Radom.
- Evaluating scientific claims (or, do we have to take the scientist's word for it?)From a 2011 Scientific American post, although still useful.
How to Avoid Plagiarism
- Avoiding PlagiarismPurdue University Online Writing Lab.
- Avoiding Plagiarism: The Harvard Guide to Using SourcesThis particular page provides excellent tips on how to avoid plagiarism, especially unintentional plagiarism. The entire guide, published by the Harvard College Writing Program, is useful for establishing good research and writing habits from start to finish. A navigation bar is available in the left column.
- Video: 10 Types of PlagiarismA 4-minute video from Plagiarism.org (a site created by WriteCheck.com, a software developer) and the WriteCheck YouTube Channel.
- How to Use a Writing Cleanroom to Avoid Plagiarismby Jonathan Bailey for PlagiarismToday
APA Style
- APA Style HelpGeneral APA guidelines, samples and templates, and sample citations for various types of sources.
