Write Better Papers by Using Better Sources

As I mentioned in my last post, most--if not all--of your college papers will require you to do some research or outside reading. The Internet makes this much easier than it once was. The ease with which you can research pretty much anything online does comes with disadvantages, though. Not all sources are equally credible, and seasoned eyes--like your instructors'--can tell the difference. To write great papers, know which sources to use and which ones to avoid. Learn the difference after the jump.

Scholarly and professional publications, like academic journals and books published by university presses, are the best research material. They are typically written by scholars and experts in their fields and reviewed for accuracy and integrity by other scholars and experts, making them extremely in-depth and reliable. Additionally, you'll often find that they provide the latest research. Academic journals and university press books can be hard to find, however. You may have to look in your college library or online in your college library's academic journal database for the publications you need.

Reference works, like encyclopedias, may provide some basic information on your topic. Their can be limited, however, since they typically aren't updated frequently (can you imagine trying to write a paper on the Internet in 2011 using an encyclopedia entry from 1998?). Encyclopedias may be a useful jumping-off point, but at the college level, you shouldn't rely on them for much research.

Mass market books are often acceptable research material, but make sure to evaluate their credibility before using them. Consider the author's credentials. If you're writing a paper on ancient Egypt, a book by an archaeologist will count for much more than one by a layperson (or Erich von Daniken). Also consider the publisher. Larger publishing houses have more resources for fact-checking than smaller or less reputable ones. For this reason, stay away from self-published books. I could self-publish a book right now claiming that a race of five-legged Martians built the Egyptian pyramids, but that wouldn't make my claim true.

Exercise similar caution when using mass market periodicals and their websites. Again, larger, better-known publications, like major newspapers and magazines, have more resources to devote to fact-checking and verification, so their articles tend to be more credible than articles that run in smaller publications. Unfortunately, because articles in mainstream periodicals tend to be written by journalists rather than scholars and are aimed towards mainstream readers rather than other academics or specialists, the depth of the articles is limited. As with mass market books, check the authors' credentials before citing their work as sources.

Finally, be extremely wary of online sources that aren't scholarly or professional journals or mainstream news sources. As I've written before, Wikipedia may be a good jumping-off point but is a bad source. Even worse are personal blogs. Never use anyone's personal blog for factual research. As with self-published books, I could start a personal blog right now alleging that three-toed sloths have secretly taken over the White House and are plotting with the dolphins to bring about the demise of humanity...but that doesn't mean it's true. Even online, stick to credible, verifiable research sources.

The success or failure of a research paper rests in large part on the quality of the research. It may be easier to just type your subject into Google and use the first few results that pop up, but if you want to write the kind of paper that will impress your instructor and earn you an A--and maybe learn a little more about your topic in the process--spend some time making sure your research is solid. After a while, the extra effort will be second nature, and your essays and grades will reap the rewards.