Published on
May 19, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 31, 2023.
Throughout the research process, you’ll likely use various types of sources. The source types commonly used in academic writing include:
Academic journals
Books
Websites
Newspapers
Encyclopedias
The type of source you look for will depend on the stage you are at in the writing process. For preliminary research like definitions and broad overviews, you might consult an encyclopedia or a website. For original insights or an in-depth analysis of your topic, you might consult scholarly books and journal articles.
Published on
May 19, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 31, 2023.
A tertiary source, also called a reference work, is a source that gives an overview of information gathered from primary and secondary sources but does not provide original interpretations or analysis. Examples include:
These sources types compile information from a wide variety of sources. They may also list, summarize, and index sources that provide original data or direct evidence (primary sources) and sources that describe or interpret this evidence (secondary sources).
Tertiary sources are useful for finding background information on your research topic, like key terms or the names of important scholars. But they are usually not cited directly in academic writing.
Published on
May 13, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 31, 2023.
Information literacy refers to the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources effectively. The term covers a broad range of skills, including the ability to:
NoteThe term is often used interchangeably with digital literacy, but digital literacy may refer to a broader range of skills, including creating and sharing digital content. Information literacy is more closely focused on the skills that make you a competent researcher.
Published on
May 9, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
August 23, 2022.
A parenthetical citation gives credit in parentheses to a source that you’re quoting or paraphrasing. It contains information such as the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number(s) if relevant.
Parenthetical citations are used in many citation styles, including MLA, APA, and Chicago.
Parenthetical citations should be placed at the end of the sentence or clause that contains the cited material, and they must always correspond to a full entry in your reference list.
Example: MLA parenthetical citationOscar Wilde believed that “the only question about a work of art was whether it was well or badly written” (Kiberd 120).
Published on
May 6, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 23, 2022.
Ibid. is an abbreviation of the Latin “ibidem,” meaning “in the same place.”
It’s used in citations to quickly cite a source that you’ve already cited in full in a previous footnote or endnote. This directs the reader to the previous citation.
Example: Ibid. in a Chicago footnote
C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination (New York: Oxford University Press, 1959), 22.
Published on
May 2, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 31, 2023.
Boolean operators are words and symbols, such as AND or NOT, that let you expand or narrow your search parameters when using a database or search engine. When you search using these operators, it is known as a Boolean search.
You can use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT alongside keywords to create a Boolean string that will refine your search to find the most relevant results and sources.
Published on
April 25, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
May 31, 2023.
A signal phrase attributes a quote or idea to an outside source. Signal phrases are often used alongside in-text citations to help the reader to distinguish between your work and sources that you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing.
Example: Signal phraseAccording to the folklorist and scholar Vladimir Propp, all fictional characters relate to seven basic character types.
