| Appropriate Sources
How do you evaluate for appropriateness? You have to think long
and hard about the kinds of information you need and then the kinds
of sources most likely to contain that information. Here are some
ways to help you begin.
| Background vs. In Depth |
|
Are you looking for some quick facts and general information,
or are you looking for a thorough discussion of a specific topic? |
|
| Scholarly vs. Popular |
|
Are you looking for an academic perspective, or are you looking
for information that the average person sees and reads? |
|
| Historical vs. Current |
|
Are you looking at how perspectives of an issue have changed
over time, or are you looking at the current state of thinking
on a topic? |
|
| Primary vs. Secondary |
|
Are you trying to find first hand accounts or data from research,
or are you looking for analysis of several different perspectives? |
Once you know the answers to these questions, you can think about
the types of resources described at the beginning of the module
and find the ones that best match your needs. |
