From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Practical Guide, 3rd edition

136 CHAPTER 6 | FRom FIndIng To EvAluATIng SouRCES

Again, as you define your task for yourself, it is important to consider

why you would use one source or another. Do you want facts? Opinions?

News reports? Research studies? Analyses? Personal reflections? The ex ­

tent to which the information can help you make your argument will serve

as your basis for determining whether a source of information is of value.

Steps to Identifying Sources

■^1 Consult experts who can guide your research. Talk to people who

can help you formulate issues and questions.

■^2 Develop a working knowledge of standard sources. Identify the dif­

ferent kinds of information that different types of sources provide.

■^3 Distinguish between primary and secondary sources. Decide what

type of information can best help you answer your research question.

■^4 Distinguish between popular and scholarly sources. Determine

what kind of information will persuade your readers.

A Practice Sequence: Identifying Sources

We would now like you to practice using some of the strategies we have

discussed so far: talking with experts, deciding what sources of infor­

mation you should use, and determining what types of information

can best help you develop your paper and persuade your readers. We

assume you have chosen a topic for your paper, identified an issue, and

perhaps formulated a working thesis. If not, think back to some of the

topics mentioned in earlier chapters. Have any of them piqued your

interest? If not, here are five very broad topics you might work with:

•    higher education student loans  • science and religion

•    the media and gender    • immigration

•    global health

Once you’ve decided on a topic, talk to experts and decide which

types of sources you should use: primary or secondary, popular or

scholarly. Consult with your classmates to evaluate the strengths and

weaknesses of different sources of information and the appropriateness

of using different types of information. Here are the steps to follow:

■^1 Talk to a librarian about the sources you might use to get infor­

mation about your topic (for example, databases, abstracts, or

bibliographies). Be sure to take notes.

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