Brainstorming your topic is an essential first step to research. Outlining your research and mind mapping are good ways to visualize and track your brainstorming. Use can use the mind map template below to generate and capture your ideas. Start with your research question in the center and then use background information about your topic to break down the different aspects or sub-questions that you need to answer in order to answer your research question.
It is very important to verify the information that you will be finding throughout your research process. Evaluating the reliability of a source happens in two stages: evaluation internal to the source and evaluating outside of, or external, to the source.When evaluating at each stage there are some things that you need to consider:
When evaluating a source internally, you are looking at the source itself. Look at not just the information the is being shared in the source but the information and context that is being provided about the source.
What is the purpose of the source?
Where are they getting their information?
Does the timeliness of this source work for the needs of your discipline?
External evaluation is also called lateral reading. When evaluating externally, you need to leave the source and search for information about the source elsewhere (i.e. do a Google search about the organization the published the information). Watch the John Green Crash Course video below to see external evaluation/lateral reading in action.
Does the information shared in this source align with other sources/general consensus?
What is the reputation of the author/organization?
What do sources you consider reliable think about the source?
It is up to you to think critically about whether it is appropriate to use a source for your research based off of the results of your evaluation. Sources that might not have done well during its evaluation might still be a source you consider using because it can assist in making a point in your research. If you do decide to use a source that evaluated badly, it is important to provide the framework, context, and an explanation on why you are using an unreliable source.
Use the below resources to start researching your topic, generating ideas, and pinpointing possible sources.
You should refrain from citing background sources directly but you can use them to direct you to other sources.
