How Can I Pick the Right Sources for My Research Paper? 

If you want to write an effective research paper, you should include reliable sources that helped you build and craft your paper from scratch. Ensure that you have understood what topic you want to write about from your discipline. There are always many topics to study. That is why you need to do initial wide research on different matters before arriving at your final pick. All these efforts require going through several sources that will help you develop that.

Get the best of information to help you write your paper. You can only do this if you use quality sources. So, how do you pick the right sources for your paper? What makes a given source the best for use in your paper? Here are some important points to put into practice to help you develop a good quality research paper:

  1. Refine your topic. The first step to picking reliable sources starts with picking a good topic for your research paper. Make sure it is well written and refined. When you are clear on what you are writing about, then picking the right sources will not be a problem. It starts with having a clear picture of what you want to write in your current research.
  2. Pick your keywords. Identify the key defining terms of your research. List a number of them and use them to search for the sources you need. With the right terms, you will be able to search for sources online. There will be a list of sources to pick from in every search you make.
  3. Search from scholarly Journals. All sources don’t qualify to be academic sources. Therefore, it will be good for you to be advised and continue your search from academic and scholarly platforms. Scholarly journals can make good sources for your paper. Go for peer-reviewed journals to help you write.
  4. Check from Websites. Websites too are a good source of information. Look for .edu, .org and .gov sites among others. You will find sites with the information you are looking for. The background for your research is very helpful in building your research paper. Therefore, make sure that you have picked the right websites.
  5. Look for Books. Published books are a good source of information and data that you are looking for. Therefore, search for sources among academic books. You will get enough of them published in your area of interest. 
  6. Consider Magazines and Articles too. Articles and magazines can also be used as sources for your research paper. However, you should confirm their credibility based on the publisher and background as well.

Final Thoughts 

Your research paper is never complete without proper citations and references. Therefore, you should make sure that you have done due diligence to pick the best that there is in your area of interest. Don’t settle for just any source that comes your way. You should take the time to confirm that they have the recommended quality of research before picking them.