Which Online Sources Can I Use for My Work

Key Takeaways:

Authority is determined by the information need. You need to find out what kind of sources your instructor wants for a particular assignment.
Always consider using scholarly sources (i.e. sources written by subject matter experts written for subject matter experts) for schoolwork.
Popular sources are written for the general public. They can help sum up the ideas of complicated research so it is easier to understand. National Geographic and The New York Times would be examples of popular sources.
Trade sources are written for experts and are shorter and easier to understand than scholarly journals.

Which Online Sources Can I use for my Coursework

Often the best and easiest way to find sources for your coursework is through the Library. Find out how to access the Library's collections.

However, depending on your project or field of study, there may also be useful information available freely online, although the typical Google search might not surface these resources. That is because the majority of sources found online are popular sources written for the general public, not for scholars or students. Review the table below to determine what types of sources you should use for your coursework and when.

When deciding what types of online sources you can use for your coursework you need to consider the authority of that type of source. Keep in mind these two concepts as you determine whether a type of source is acceptable or not:

Authority depends upon the information need.
Authority comes from the creator’s expertise and credibility.

Types of Sources
	Scholarly	Popular	Trade
Example
How do I identify them?	Abstract, methods, results and discussion section 10 pages or more Subject specific language References.	Written for the general public. Language is accessible Shorter than scholarly sources	Written for practitioners of a field Shorter and more practical than scholarly articles
Where does the creator’s credibility come from?	Authors have advanced degree in their field Peer reviewed--meaning other experts ensure that the information is accurate and meaningful	Each source needs to be considered on it’s own	From the publication itself
When can I use them?	Anytime Sometimes stipulated by professor	Can help decipher complex ideas in scholarly works or fill in missing perspectives. Always consult the source or the original research.	Identifying industry news and trends.

In doing research for college level courses you need to consider which sources will be considered authoritative for your purpose. Want someone to hold your hand and tell you if a source is scholarly or not? The library database Ulrichsweb does just that.