UH 1010-World: Languages & Cultures: Identify Scholarly Sources & Evaluate Your Sources

This guide is intended to help get you started by reviewing the resources and search tips we discussed in your library class session. 

During your search process, if you are having trouble finding what you need, please don't hesitate to email me or schedule a Webex or face to face appointment with me.

If you have questions about PowerPoint or about software for creating a video, schedule an appointment at the Student Technology Assistance Center:

A scholarly article, sometimes referred to as a peer-reviewed article, is one that's been written by a scholar in the field. Its intended audience is other scholars in the area and it is intended to share research about a topic. When it is peer-reviewed, other scholars and experts in the field review the article and make recommendations before it is published.

People write for many different reasons - to inform, entertain, persuade, mislead, satirize, describe, etc. and the quality of the information can depend on the reason it was written or shared. Information changes as new facts, data, and knowledge comes to light. In an academic assignment, it is important to use information that is reliable, accurate, objective, and up-to-date. You will need to evaluate each source you locate, to determine if it is something that will support or contradict your thesis and/or topic. You will look at more sources than you need, and that is okay, and encouraged! The more sources you read, the more informed you are about the topic and can pick the best resources for your assignment. 

The video below, created and produced by the University of South Australia Librarians, provides tips on evaluating information using the C.R.A.A.P. test.

This is a brief video about SIFT from Wayne State University: