{"id":1016,"date":"2025-04-23T15:55:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T15:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&p=1016"},"modified":"2025-06-26T20:49:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:49:53","slug":"finding-evidence-learn-it-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/finding-evidence-learn-it-2\/","title":{"raw":"Finding Evidence: Learn It 2","rendered":"Finding Evidence: Learn It 2"},"content":{"raw":"

Finding Evidence<\/h2>\r\nYour research strategy should align with your professor\u2019s requirements. Some assignments require only peer-reviewed journal articles<\/strong>, while others allow a mix of sources, including credible websites. If unsure, always ask for clarification.\r\n\r\n
\r\n

types of sources<\/h3>\r\nSome assignments require you to find primary sources<\/strong> only, while others allow you to rely on secondary sources<\/strong>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPrimary vs. Secondary Sources<\/strong>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Primary sources<\/strong> are firsthand accounts or original documents, such as letters, autobiographies, research studies, or historical artifacts. A Civil War soldier\u2019s journal or a scientist\u2019s published experiment results are examples of primary sources.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Secondary sources<\/strong> are secondhand accounts of primary sources and involve generalization, analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of the original information. These include sources like biographies, news articles about research findings, or scholarly essays evaluating historical events.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nPopular vs. Scholarly Sources<\/strong>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Popular sources<\/strong> (news articles, blogs, magazines) are written for a general audience and sometimes may lack in-depth analysis or rigorous fact-checking (though there are plenty that are well-researched and provide references).<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Scholarly sources<\/strong> are written by experts in a field, often peer-reviewed, and found in academic journals. University libraries provide free access to many of these journals, while Google Scholar<\/strong> can help locate them online<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

      Tips for Choosing Sources<\/h3>\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Consider the Author\u2019s Credibility: <\/strong>Does the author have expertise in the subject?<\/span>\u00a0Oftentimes, an author\u2019s credentials will be listed as a footnote within the source, but if not, an Internet search may reveal whether the writer can be determined to be a scholarly author or one who has done a vast amount of research on the topic.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
      • Use University and Library Resources: <\/strong>Many academic fields have journals and periodicals that publish scholarly articles. Universities often provide free access to these through library databases and print collections. By discovering and accessing these journals, you can be sure that the piece from which you are quoting is a scholarly source.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Use Google Scholar for Research: <\/strong>Search engines such as Google offer the option of searching \u201cGoogle Scholar\u201d in order to access scholarly articles. Some online access journals require a fee to access articles\u2013if you encounter a paywall, check your university library\u2019s database, as they often provide free access to the same materials.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Ask Your Professor About Research Requirements: <\/strong>If no specific guidelines are given, clarify whether certain types of sources (e.g., only peer-reviewed journals) are required. You can start with a general search using Google or Wikipedia to understand the basics about your topic, but you'll want to do specific research to find the type of evidence needed to give credibility to your argument.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
        [ohm2_question]34385[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>","rendered":"

        Finding Evidence<\/h2>\n

        Your research strategy should align with your professor\u2019s requirements. Some assignments require only peer-reviewed journal articles<\/strong>, while others allow a mix of sources, including credible websites. If unsure, always ask for clarification.<\/p>\n

        \n

        types of sources<\/h3>\n

        Some assignments require you to find primary sources<\/strong> only, while others allow you to rely on secondary sources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Primary vs. Secondary Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Primary sources<\/strong> are firsthand accounts or original documents, such as letters, autobiographies, research studies, or historical artifacts. A Civil War soldier\u2019s journal or a scientist\u2019s published experiment results are examples of primary sources.<\/li>\n
        • Secondary sources<\/strong> are secondhand accounts of primary sources and involve generalization, analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of the original information. These include sources like biographies, news articles about research findings, or scholarly essays evaluating historical events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Popular vs. Scholarly Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Popular sources<\/strong> (news articles, blogs, magazines) are written for a general audience and sometimes may lack in-depth analysis or rigorous fact-checking (though there are plenty that are well-researched and provide references).<\/li>\n
          • Scholarly sources<\/strong> are written by experts in a field, often peer-reviewed, and found in academic journals. University libraries provide free access to many of these journals, while Google Scholar<\/strong> can help locate them online<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n

            Tips for Choosing Sources<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • Consider the Author\u2019s Credibility: <\/strong>Does the author have expertise in the subject?<\/span>\u00a0Oftentimes, an author\u2019s credentials will be listed as a footnote within the source, but if not, an Internet search may reveal whether the writer can be determined to be a scholarly author or one who has done a vast amount of research on the topic.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • Use University and Library Resources: <\/strong>Many academic fields have journals and periodicals that publish scholarly articles. Universities often provide free access to these through library databases and print collections. By discovering and accessing these journals, you can be sure that the piece from which you are quoting is a scholarly source.<\/li>\n
            • Use Google Scholar for Research: <\/strong>Search engines such as Google offer the option of searching \u201cGoogle Scholar\u201d in order to access scholarly articles. Some online access journals require a fee to access articles\u2013if you encounter a paywall, check your university library\u2019s database, as they often provide free access to the same materials.<\/li>\n
            • Ask Your Professor About Research Requirements: <\/strong>If no specific guidelines are given, clarify whether certain types of sources (e.g., only peer-reviewed journals) are required. You can start with a general search using Google or Wikipedia to understand the basics about your topic, but you’ll want to do specific research to find the type of evidence needed to give credibility to your argument.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n