 | Choosing the right information to work with is essential. Four of the Top Ten Research Skills for First Year University Students relate to locating information. | |
Information categories | The News Literacy Project has identified 6 “InfoZones”: • Raw information • News • Opinion • Advertising • Entertainment • Propaganda | |
Where to start | Your school and public libraries have a great selection of high quality information sources. Encyclopedias, such as World Book Online, provide an overview of your topic and are terrific places to start your information journey. Research databases, such as those included Spectrum’s Research Toolkit, provide further information. | |
Popular vs. scholarly sources | Popular sources are written for a wide audience; scholarly sources are written for an academic audience. The library at Northeastern Illinois University provides an animated introduction to the topic; Simon Fraser University library breaks down these two source types further. | |
Choosing Images | Look for images that are licensed for reuse through Creative Commons. In your online image search, select: Tools > usage rights > Creative Commons licenses | |
Citing Information | For any source you choose, record the title/web address to add to your reference list later. | |