Looking for credible sources for your research paper can be very difficult, especially now that so much information abounds. In the beginning, most students rely on search engines like Google, Microsoft Edge, and even Wikipedia for information. However, these sources are often flooded with various information that is difficult to authenticate. Most professors wouldn’t even want to see Wikipedia cited as a source for a research paper. So, how can you find good sources for your research paper? This can be very tricky, especially if you are new to writing research papers. You need to consider several factors when deciding on a source to use, and this article takes you through how to find credible sources.

Tips for finding good sources

• List your keywords

To have good search results on the internet, you need to use keywords or phrases related to your topic. You can start with only one keyword like the topic title, then add other words, according to your search objectives. After having some good sources, check if they have tags. These tags typically have links, which can direct you to other similar sources. Also, you can add the tag phases to your keywords to do better searches.

• What are your required sources?

What is your university or department’s required type of source for the given research work? While going by the requirements, also ensure that they are suitable for the topic. Several search engines are available to explore previous literature on the chosen topic. Also, these engines give many options and sources to peruse.

• What question are you asking?

The question you are seeking answers for can also be a determining factor when seeking credible sources. For example, you may not want to use a Wikipedia source for a critical science question; however, if you ask a simple question like who is the 45^th President of the USA, a Wikipedia source may be good enough for that. It means you may need to use scholarly sources for research works.

• Review the sources of your sources

To establish the credibility of a source you want to use, you need to review the references cited in those works. You can get this by going through the bibliography section of those works. This process is very important because you can also rely on the sources in those works for further research. When you are using a search engine like Google Scholar, you will have the chance to see links to cited sources.

Seek help

If you are encountering challenges in what sources to trust, then seek help from a professional. Writing service consultants are available to help you find a list of research terms, types of sources that best answer your research question, among others.