Sociology > 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 to find more sources - books, journal articles, and even websites should cite their 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 scholary 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 are updated often.
- Reliable websites cite their sources, just like a book or journal would.
- 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: