Tools of Learning

Using Technology and Resources

Conducting Library Research 365

Reading and Vocabulary Skills

Speaking, Viewing, and Listening Skills

Thinking Skills

Learning Skills

Using Information

Do you know why the sky looks blue? Look it up! NASA tells us that sunlight gets scattered by particles in the atmosphere, and blue scatters most because it has short wavelengths. That’s research—looking for answers to your questions.

When you research, you need to figure out where and how to look for answers. Once you find them, you need to judge whether you can trust them. Only then will you be ready to report your answers.

In this chapter, you will learn about primary and secondary sources, and how to evaluate each. You will also learn how to credit sources so that your reader can find them (and so that you avoid plagiarism).

What’s Ahead

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Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary sources are original sources. They give you firsthand information and can involve observing or participating in an activity, interviewing someone who knows about your topic, or reading historical documents or diaries. (See page 353.)

Secondary sources, on the other hand, are not original sources. They provide information that has been gathered by another person, which makes them at least once removed from the original. Secondary sources often analyze, interpret, or evaluate in some way. Most magazines, newspapers, and nonfiction books are considered secondary sources of information

Helpful Hint

A primary source of information can be traced no further than its author. A secondary source can be traced beyond its author to at least one or more other individuals. Both are valid sources for your research.

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Types of Primary Sources

Because primary sources offer you firsthand information, they may get you closer to the truth about a topic. This page discusses five types of primary sources.

Observation and participation ■ Carefully observing people, events, and places is a common primary source, as is actually participating in an event. For example, if you were doing a report on iguanas, going to a zoo to observe the animals would be a primary source.

Surveys and forms ■ A survey or questionnaire can be a helpful primary source of information. For example, you could use a survey to gather neighborhood opinions about street traffic. This sort of research can be done by phone, in person, by email, online, or through the mail.

Interviews ■ In an interview, you talk directly with someone who has expert knowledge or experience concerning your topic. You can interview someone in person, by phone, by email or online chat, or by mail. (See page 252.)

Presentations ■ Going to lectures, visiting museum displays, and attending exhibits can provide you with firsthand information about many different topics. Remember to listen and observe closely as well as think about what you are seeing and hearing.

Diaries, journals, and letters ■ A diary, journal, or collection of letters from an expert or a celebrity offers you that person’s thoughts. These sources can provide fascinating details for your research. Look for these writings in autobiographies, in biographies, and at historical museums.

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Evaluating Sources

If you close one eye, the world looks like a flat picture. When you look through both eyes, everything suddenly takes on depth and perspective.

The same thing happens with research. If you base your ideas on a single source, you won’t have much perspective. If, instead, you consult multiple sources, your ideas will have depth.

You should also evaluate each source to determine how reliable it is. Ask yourself these questions:

Is the source primary or secondary?

Firsthand information from a primary source is often more trustworthy than secondhand accounts, simply because there are fewer people between you and the facts. A secondary source may give you biased information, including certain details and excluding others.

Is the source an expert?

An expert is someone regarded as an authority on a certain subject. (Note, however, that an expert on one topic is not necessarily an expert on others.) If you aren’t sure about someone’s expertise on a subject, ask your teacher, a parent or guardian, or your librarian for advice.

Is the source highly regarded?

A news source like the Chicago Tribune is more highly respected than a supermarket tabloid. Again, if you aren’t sure about the credentials of a source, ask an adult.

Is the information accurate and reliable?

The best way to judge this is to compare two or more highly regarded sources. If they are in agreement about the details of your topic, the information is probably correct. If they disagree, you’ll need to do more research to uncover the facts.

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Is the information complete?

Often, a source will tell you only one side of the story. This may be especially true on the Web, where information may be posted by individuals or groups who want to sway you to their way of thinking, without concern for balance or fairness. If an author tells you only facts that support his or her opinion, something important is probably missing. Look further.

Is the information current?

Generally, you will want the very latest information on a subject, especially when it comes to science, technology, and current events. Look for articles and books with a recent copyright date. And always check the date of Web postings. If no date is posted, don’t assume that the information is recent.

Is the source biased?

A “bias” means literally a tilt toward one side. Biased sources—politicians, TV infomercials, and many websites—have something to gain by using facts, “loaded words,” and emotional appeals to put themselves in the best light. Obviously, you’ll want to avoid using biased sources. (See page 361 to learn more about emotive words.) Learn more about detecting bias.

Good Thinking

When doing research, good thinkers don’t just choose sources that support their own knowledge of a topic or opinion about it. They also seek out sources that add to or even disagree with their position. Learning about opposing viewpoints can broaden and deepen their grasp of a subject, helping them to better know their own position.

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Crediting Sources

Crediting your sources helps you to avoid plagiarism, which means presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. (See pages 297–300.) Never plagiarize.

Crediting your sources also lends authority to your writing. It says, “Here are the people who stand behind my details.” Not crediting your sources is like telling the reader, “This information is true because I said so.” Nobody wants to hear that.

Finally, in our information-rich world, time is precious. When you reveal your sources of information, the reader can easily find and read more about your topic.

When to Credit Sources

The basic rule for deciding when to credit a source is to ask yourself, “Is this information common knowledge?” Common knowledge can be found in a general dictionary or encyclopedia and does not need to be credited (but don’t copy it word for word).

However, facts that cannot be found in a general dictionary or encyclopedia must be credited to the source in which you found them.

How to Credit Sources

Within the text of an informal report, mention the specific source of each quotation, fact, or summary of information that you use. At the end of the report, provide a list of these sources in a bibliography or works-cited page (see pages 308–310).
Within the text of a formal research paper, such as the MLA-style report on pages 311–315, you must not only mention the source of any borrowed information but also provide a page number. Besides the “in-text citations,” a works-cited page is required at the report’s end. (See the MLA report chapter on pages 301–315 for more details.)
In an electronic document, such as a web page, a blog post, or an email, you can hyperlink directly from your information to its source online. (See page 306.) You may also include a bibliography or works-cited page, which can also be hyperlinked to online sources.

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