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Library Skills at MIT - New Guide

Evaluating Your Other Sources

Are scholarly sources the only resources I can use?

Just because a source is not considered 'scholarly' does not mean you cannot use it in your assignments! Whilst scholarly sources are usually considered to be the best, sometimes it is appropriate to use other sources. If using these sources, it is always good to evaluate them using a tool like the C.R.A.P. Test. Have a look at some of the more commonly used non-scholarly sources below.


Websites
 

  • Websites are not considered to be scholarly materials as they generally don't have any sort of editorial/publisher process or peer review. However, they may still contain information that is useful.
  • Government or company websites will tend to be useful as they are the website of institutions that will ensure they are authoritative and the information is correct.
  • Website written by noted experts in their field, or directly reflecting information from a particular person may also be usable in some circumstances (say for instance if you were writing some biographical information about someone and their website said when they were born)

 

  • Look at the domain name: Checking the domain can help establish authority. Top level domains like .edu, .gov. and .mil are limited to official bodies like educational institutions, governments and military organisations. Alternatively .com, .net or .org are all freely available to be registered by anyone.

  • Look at 'About Us': About us pages can often be helpful for establishing authority and purpose. Find out who is responsible for the website and what is their mission statement. 

  • Google to verify: Google is a great tool to verify information. If someone claims to be an expert see if others agree. Although make sure you evaluate their website too. 

  • Treat copyright notices with caution. Many websites automatically update to the current year for copyright purposes.  Double check the information to see if it is current.

  • If you're not sure, Contact Us.

 

Newspapers 



Newspaper articles are not usually considered scholarly works, but could be used as supplementary sources for relevant recent events that may not yet be in a journal article, or for things to show company activity, government activity or perhaps for biographical works
 

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