As you research for your debate, it’s important to take some time to ensure you’ve found quality, credible sources. The better quality sources you find, the stronger your debate arguments will be. Even if you are not debating, this still remains true. The accuracy and integrity of your work relies on the quality of sources you use, so it’s important to know how to find them!
Five important factors – The Craap Test
Currency– How current/up to date this information is.
Relevance– How relevant is this to your topic?
Authority- Does the author or publisher have authority or expertise?
Accuracy- How accurate are the facts? Can they be confirmed?
Purpose– What is the author/publishers purpose? Do they have a bias?
The “CRAAP” Test is a really great checklist to use as you are evaluating sources. It is good to consider and ask yourself these questions before you decide to use a source!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CRAAP TEST scorecard
ONLINE SEARCH STRATEGIES
Knowing some strategies for finding sources that go beyond typing the question into google, can go a long way in helping you to locate better quality sources. Check out theses four ways of searching that will help you become a better Researcher.
Depending on your topic, different methods may work better than others. I recommend giving them a try!
You can learn more about how to use Boolean search commands HERE if you are interested.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SEARCH STRATEGIES HANDOUT
USING Databases
We have a library subscription to some databases, which you can access through the library homepage. There are several ways that these can be helpful as you’re researching. If you are interested, watch this short video on how to use and access these databases:
Using GALE
Using EBSCO HOST
CLICK HERE to view THE LOGIN INFO
The Databases we have school access to are..
You can also access these through our library homepage!