Senn High School

Evaluate sources within the context of your specific research needs

• Reflect upon your research needs
  • What depth of knowledge is needed?
  • Who would have that knowledge?
  • How current is the topic?
• Seek the most appropriate source to meet your needs
• Needs may change throughout the course of your research
• No one source is always best!

Do you need...

• A broad introduction to the topic?
• The most up-to-date information?
• An expert opinion?
• A fact or assertion verified?

The answers to these questions will change throughout your research.

Your research process will include information for scholars and for general audiences. So how do you tell what type of source you're looking at?

To learn more, watch this video. (4:48; created by North Carolina State University Libraries under a Creative Commons License permitting use  by libraries and students everywhere.)

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article from NC State University Libraries on Vimeo.