What is a reliable source?
You have probably been told many times that you should only use reliable sources in your school assignments. However, locating reliable sources is often easier said than done. The internet has become a platform where anyone can voice their opinion or present false information as facts without any credentials or proof. This often makes it difficult to determine whether a source is reliable or not. It is therefore important to have a critical approach towards your sources. Before you use a source, always remember to ask yourself:
Who are the authors? Are they reliable? Do they know enough about the topic? What are their credentials?
Is the source reputable? Is it sponsored in any way? Is it taken from a blog or a wiki, or from a respected journal or organisation?
Is the source objective or biased? Is the source arguing for or against something? Is it mostly factual information or opinion-based?
Is the information that is provided correct? Does the source go in-depth? What kind of sources are presented in the bibliography?
What is the purpose of the source? To entertain or to persuade? To sell something? Or to provide relevant information?
Is the source current? When was it written? Is it possible to find more current information about the topic?
Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources
We often distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. The most authentic and reliable sources are the ones we call primary sources. These provide first-hand evidence gathered by the author(s).
Examples of primary sources:
eyewitness accounts
newspaper articles by reporters who witnessed an event
photographs or videos of an event
historic documents, such as diaries, letters, speeches and interviews
research articles
fictional work (novels, short stories)
autobiographies
Secondary sources are accounts that are at least one step removed from primary sources. They describe, interpret, or analyse information obtained from primary sources.
Examples of secondary sources:
textbooks
biographies
newspaper opinion pieces
analyses or interpretations of data from research papers.
criticism or analyses of literature, art works, or music
Tertiary sources compile, organise, and summarise sources, primarily secondary sources. They often provide data in more convenient form and can provide context for the reader. They are helpful in interpreting information in primary and secondary sources.
Examples of tertiary sources:
reference books
handbooks, manuals, and guidebooks
some textbooks
dictionaries and encyclopaedias
When looking for good sources, remember that the closer you get to the topic that you are writing about (event, person, scientific experiment, literary work ...), the more reliable the source will be. So, it is not a good idea to quote Wikipedia directly, as it is a tertiary source. Rather, look at the footnotes of the Wikipedia article you want to quote and find the sources of the material discussed.