Biology > Find Reliable Sources
Find Reliable Sources
How to find and evaluate sources for your research:
Think critically and ask questions about each source. Who is the publisher? What kind of bias might they have toward the topic?
Use bibliographies like books, journal articles and websites to find more sources. Cite your sources. Look up these citations in the library's catalog or databases.
TIP: Always check your assignment's written directions to see what kind of sources your professor requires.
When using books as sources:
- Look through the table of contents and the index to find your key terms.
- Read book reviews to discover whether a book is recommended by others. Try searching JSTOR or Books in Print for the title.
When using journal or magazine articles:
- Ask yourself if the publication is scholarly or popular, substantive or sensational.
- Look for a bibliography after each article - the quality of the research matters!
- Is it published by a university or a professional association? Or by a corporation?
When using websites:
- Look for sites that are current and updated often.
- Reliable websites cite their sources, just like books and journals.
- Is the site expressing opinion or presenting facts?
- Sites published by government and scholarly sites usually have good information. Look for .gov, .edu and .org Web addresses.
More information can be found here: