As you search, you should evaluate the sources you find. Books, articles, and websites are created by people with a wide range of opinions, education, and purposes for writing. You could also find sources that are outdated, inaccurate, or just not useful for your research.
Evaluating sources is going to depend on context—even something that seems like a “bad” source may be valuable. One important skill in evaluating a potential source is lateral reading- which is the process of looking at what others are saying about the author's organization and individuals.
Stop - Pause and take the time to evaluate the source. Ask yourself whether you know and trust the website or the source of the information.
Investigate - Investigate what can you find out through a Google search about the author/organization? What is their expertise or agenda?
Find - Find other coverage (especially of current events or opinions). You can consider using news databases, fact-checking sites, or reverse image searching.
Trace - Trace the claims and quotes to the original source. (Did the quoted person really say that? What was the context of the original statement?)
In the process of evaluation, also consider elements such as the date of publication (is it old/outdated information?) and the website domain name. Evaluation is not necessarily “pass/fail,” meaning that if a source does not meet one criterion, it may not be invalidated as a useful source. Use critical thinking to decide which sources best fulfill your research needs.
Above all, remember to choose the sources that will be most useful to you in achieving your research aims, or best fit your assignment. Don't choose a source just because it is the first on a results list or is otherwise convenient.
There are many different kinds of sources we can use in our research.
Peer-Reviewed Articles: found in scholarly journals, these articles are written to make an academic argument or report the results of a research study. The peer-review process involves experts in a given field vetting articles written by others in the field. Use these sources to demonstrate what scholars and experts in the field think about your topic.
Academic and Non-Fiction Books: usually written by academics, scholars, and experts. Academic books are usually published by academic publishers (like Routledge or Elsevier) or university presses (like the Yale University Press). Other non-fiction books are published by a wide range of publishers. Books of these types are written to make a very in-depth academic argument or to convey factual information. Academic books are often collections of articles on a topic and do not need to be read cover to cover.
News and Periodical Sources: created by journalists and media companies, these sources are found on news websites, and in newspapers or magazines. These sources can be found in print or online! They are to written to convey timely, public, or individual opinion about a topic. Many of these sources are vetted by fact-checkers and editors before publication, but not always.
Social Media and Commercial Websites: social media sources come from posts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and blogs. Their content is user-generated. Commercial websites include most .com websites. They are written to convey public, corporate, or individual opinion about a topic. With context, these sources can give you up-to-date information and help you convey what real people think about your topic.
Data and Statistical Sources: data and statistics are often collected via research or polling. These results are then published on websites, in research studies, or as raw data. They are used to present factual and numerical information.