Introduction
The standard of your written assignment and the grade you get can be positively impacted by the sources you use. The more credible the sources, the more chances of a better grade. This is because the perspectives in the sources inform the views, arguments, and positions in your assignment. Using credible sources means submitting assignments with credible views, arguments, and positions. What is the best way to use the right sources to write your assignment though?
The marker who is an expert in your subject area will see this and consider it in the grading. It is one thing to answer assignment questions the right way. Another thing is to include the right content when answering. You need to do both to smash your assignment. Using credible sources ensures that you include the right content in your answer. This article will teach you how to determine the right sources to help you tackle every assignment like a boss.
What is a Right Source Though?
A good academic source is a publication that has been peer-reviewed. This means that other experts in the field have carefully evaluated the work to ensure its quality, accuracy, and relevance. Examples of academic sources are scholarly articles, academic books, conference papers, and dissertations.
To determine the quality of an academic source, you should check the reputation of the author(s), and the credibility of the publisher or journal. Other things to check are the rigour of the research methodology and the relevance of the findings. It’s also important to consider the timeliness of the source and whether it’s still current. Within business and management studies, less than ten years is seen as current but some universities prefer under five years.
How do I Find the Right Sources?
After learning how to start your assignments like a pro here, the following tips should be used to determine a good source on Google Scholar and other academic databases:
Check the author’s credentials: Look at the author’s profile to see their qualifications and affiliations. A reputable author will produce a good academic source.
Check the journal or publisher: Look at the journal or publisher to see if it’s reputable and if it has a good impact factor or peer-review process. This process is considered in the ranking of academic journals as reported by the University of Oxford here. A comprehensive list of journals and their rankings is provided by the Academic Journal Guide. Four-star journals are normally the best, but some one-star journals can be equally good.
Look for citation count: Check the number of times the article has been cited by other scholars. A higher number of citations indicates the article’s importance and relevance. The below image shows that the article has been cited 290 times.
Read the abstract and conclusion: These sections will give you an overview of the article. This will help you determine if it’s relevant to your research.
Use a Memorable Structure
A structured way to determine if an article is a good one is by using the CRAAP criteria. A benefit of using the CRAAP criteria is that it’s easy to remember due to obvious reasons. CRAAP stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.
Currency: The currency of an article means how recent it is and whether the information presented is still relevant and up-to-date. To determine the currency of a source, check if there have been any new developments in the field. This can change the relevance or accuracy of the information presented.
Relevance: The relevance of an article is determined by how closely it relates to the topic being investigated. To ensure a source is relevant, check how well the research aligns with the larger body of literature in the field and whether it contributes new insights or perspectives to the topic. Also, check if it’s suitable to answer the assignment question.
Authority: The author of a source is the individual or individuals who conducted the research and wrote it. Here, ensure that you look at their credentials, experience, and expertise in the field. The author’s background and qualifications provide valuable context and help determine the credibility of the information presented.
Accuracy: The accuracy of an article depends on the reliability and validity of the information presented. In evaluating the accuracy of a source, access the quality of the research methodology, the sources cited, and any potential biases or limitations of the study. Also, check if the results of the research are supported by evidence and whether they have been replicated by other researchers.
Purpose: The purpose of a source refers to the author’s intended goals or objectives in writing it. For a source, you have to check if the author’s goals align with the larger goals of the research community and whether the article provides a valuable contribution to the field. In other words, has it been written to provide knowledge and not for other purposes?
Conclusion
Evaluating the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose, of a source will help you determine if it’s a credible and high-quality source of information for your assignment. Using the CRAAP criteria and the other tips to determine the credibility of the sources you use becomes second nature with practice.
When you actually start answering assignment questions in the right way, using the right sources, you will be sure of good grades and on your way to graduating with an amazing degree classification! Learn how to answer assignment questions the right way here.
Drop your questions (and thoughts) in the comment box below.
