Credible Sources How to Find Them!

Credibility Definition: 1.capable of being believed; believable: a credible statement. 2.worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy: a credible witness. Credibility is important! If you use credible sources, you can believe them, and your readers can believe you.

General Guidelines for Research Always try to find the most primary source. Start with the databases on the Media Center website (ELM, ProQuest, etc.) because these sources have already been checked for credibility. Be careful when you use Google to search. The first sources that appear in your search are not necessarily the most credible! Know what kind of information you are looking for before you start researching.

How do I know if my sources are credible? Most books you find in library nonfiction are credible. Most large newspapers are credible. New York Times Charlotte Observer Washington Post Scholarly journals are usually credible. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Most government publications and websites (.gov) are credible. Reputable organizations are usually credible. American Cancer Society World Health Organization American Red Cross Most information from colleges is credible. .edu websites The JFK Media Center databases contains MANY credible sources (ProQuest, CQ Researcher, etc.). Start research here!

How do I know if my sources are credible? You can automatically rule out: Wikipedia Facebook Geocities Blogs Personal sites Yahoo Answers

Using the Internet for Research The internet offers the BEST information on MANY topics. The internet offers the WORST information on MOST topics. You can use internet resources for research, but you have to be careful.

Credible Internet Sources Ways to tell a credible internet source: Contains information about the author, editors, and/or organization Has a copyright date and other info. that you need for your source card Looks professional All or most links are working Information offered is easy to verify The website offers links to where they found their information and works cited information The sources of their information are also credible

Credible Internet Sources It is easy to contact the owners of the website for more information or to ask questions The site is up to date There are no errors The site uses proper spelling and grammar The website is appropriate There is no inappropriate language, graphics, or photos

Credible Internet Sources These guidelines are not 100% When in doubt, ask for help from a teacher or librarian If you’re still not sure, DON’T use it Be careful with .com sites Most .com sites are trying to sell something, which means they are all biased in some way Sites with lots of advertisements are usually less credible

Citing Sources With MLA

Source Cards Use the Owl at Purdue site to help you create your source cards in MLA format! You might not always be able to find all of this information, but get as much as you can.

Goals for Today Find at least two more credible and relevant sources (three for partners) for the Culture Speech. At least one of the sources should be information about the cultural artifact that you are using! Print the sources out or check them out from the Media Center. Make your source cards using Owl at Purdue as a resource. If time, create more research cards.

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Questions and Answers If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.