Introduction
Academic sources are scholarly journals, books, and websites. These sources differ from popular entertainment sources, e.g., magazines and newspapers, by being peer reviewed and offering detailed arguments backed up by extensive research in a subject area. Scholarly journals usually have names that contain words like “journal” or “bulletin” and are sometimes abbreviated to just their initials (for instance, JAMA is the Journal of the American Medical Association).
Google Scholar Is The Best New Way To Track Down Research Papers
As the name suggests, Google Scholar is a search engine specifically for academic papers. It has a simple and intuitive interface — there’s a search box at the top of every page that you can use to find papers by author, title, journal, or date (and many other parameters). You can also narrow your results down based on subject area or even citation.
How to Find Academic Sources: Using the Library Catalog
The first place to check for academic sources is your library homepage, which is a one-stop shop for anyone looking for information about their university. The library homepage will have a search bar that can help you find sources on specific subjects, like “how to write a thesis.” The website also has links to databases and guides that can help you learn more about the different types of research sources available.
If you don’t know what keywords would be relevant to your search, ask a librarian! They are experts at helping people find what they’re looking for in their area of expertise. If they don’t know the answer right off-hand, they’ll do some research and get back with you as soon as possible.
Try a Research Guide
If your library has a research guide for your subject area, it’s a good place to start. These guides are often available online and are organized in the same way that the library’s catalog is—by subject area. They may also be organized by type of source (academic journals, books) or even by format (print or electronic).
The Great Unknown of Peer Review
Peer review is a type of quality control where an article or other piece of work goes through a review process before it is published. Peer review is one of the most powerful tools available to academic writers, as it helps ensure that the research you are using meets the standards of your discipline and journal.
An Overview Of Scholarly Journals
So, what are scholarly journals? Basically, they’re peer-reviewed academic publications. To be considered a scholarly journal, it must:
- Be published by an organization that is a member of the Association for Research Libraries;
- Have scholarly content (that is, articles written by experts in the field); and
- Be listed in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory or another similar catalog.
There are three main ways to find scholarly journals: online databases such as JSTOR and OVID; your local library; and Google Scholar (which can be used at home or on campus).
Is Wikipedia An Academic Source?
When you’re writing a paper and need to find sources, the first question to ask yourself is: “Is Wikipedia an academic source?”
The answer is… maybe.
Wikipedia is a great resource for students because it’s free, easy to use, and full of information. But it’s not always accurate or reliable. If you’re writing a paper that has specific requirements for its sources (like APA style), then Wikipedia might not be right for your paper.
When deciding whether to use Wikipedia in your essay, ask yourself these questions: Is this something that would be covered in a research class? If so, then consider using other sources instead of Wikipedia or cite Wikipedia as a secondary source only. Also consider how credible the information on Wikipedia seems—is it written by people who are experts in the subject? Is it written by someone who has expertise in writing? Does it seem like there are other reliable sources out there besides Wikipedia?
If none of these questions apply to your topic, then go ahead and use Wikipedia!
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want to find academic sources, go to Google Scholar. If that doesn’t work for you, then try checking your library homepage or research guides. Finally, if all else fails, try looking up peer-reviewed journals in your subject area!