Most of the time academic writing involves conducting some kind of information gathering and research. Whether composing a description essay or writing a research paper, one has to review particular sources on the chosen topic to acquire not only basic descriptive information but also to point out supporting arguments to be used in backing up one’s own thesis or counterargument. Either way, the choice of the sources becomes a vital factor, which does not only influence the strength of the argumentation, but can also be a subject to grade deduction or even paper failure from the professor as a result of the poor sources allocation.
Credibility of the sources, both printed and online, can be determined by the following criteria:
- Credibility of the author – you must make sure that the person you are quoting or whose ideas you are using to support your own is an expert in the given field. In order to rely on the chosen author, you should be 100% sure that he/she has a sufficient knowledge, credentials and qualifications as well as authority in this particular field;
- Currency of the information – professors usually determine individually the timing range for the sources to be used in the paper. However, you should keep in mind that old information, which usually comes from the books, is good for background information, while for updated and contemporary facts one should use scholarly periodicals, which track new discoveries and studies on the daily basis.
- Authority of the publications – it is usually advisable to use an author with a couple of peer reviews published as those speak for the fact that his/her ideas and approaches are approved by the experts in this particular field of your interest and can be considered truly reliable and credible. Please note that if the author does not have any peer reviews published, that does not necessary mean that he/she is not credible. The person can still be an expert; it is just that the peer reviews act as an additional and highly valuable element of the personal expertise evaluation.
Undoubtedly, the above mentioned list of the source credibility criteria can be continued on and on. However, if you manage to use at least those in allocating the sources for your essay or research paper, it will definitely result in high appraisal from the professor or tutor. The credibility of the sources is as important in the academic writing process as formatting and paper literacy are, so, be sure to use the above mentioned tips when allocating the sources and your paper will end up being a reliable and informative piece of academic writing.
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