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Research Basics

Library Terms & Jargon

Your guide to common research and scholarly vocabulary

  • Bibliography
    A complete or selective list of source materials that are used or consulted when writing a research paper or book that are referred to in the text.
  • Database
    A searchable collection of electronic library resources. A database can contain newspaper article, magazine articles, theses, dissertations, and scholarly articles.
  • Journal
    A periodical, similar to a magazine, published for the academic community by an educated group for a certain subject area.
  • Peer Review
    The evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others working in the same field.
  • Popular Sources
    Writings that are intended for a general, non-academic audience.
  • Scholarly Sources
    Works written by scholars or professionals who are experts in their fields. They are often published in scholarly journals.

Useful Terms

Trustworthy, reliable

Credible sources are understood to be accurate and reliable sources of information.  Look at the Evaluating Sources box below to help determine credibility.  


Oxford English Dictionary

An inclination, tendency, predisposition towards

A biased source is one in which the author is taking a certain perspective in regards to the information.  We all have biases and someone with a bias can still produce a credible source.  It is up to you to decide how much of a bias is present and if it is still a worthwhile source.  Be aware if a source is trying to persuade or trying to sell you something.  Use the criteria below to determine bias.


Based on a University of Texas LibGuide

Peer review is a process scholarly articles go through before they are published.  An article is evaluated by experts (peers) in  the field to ensure accuracy and quality.  Refereed is also used to describe this process.

Evaluating Sources

You will need to use critical thinking skills to evaluate your sources. This is especially true with online-only sources or non-academic journals.  Check the following:

Authorship

  • Is the person, group or organization responsible for the site identified?
  • What type of site have you located?  For example, is it a personal page (.net) or blog, a company website (.com), an organization (.org), a government body (.gov), or an educational institution (.edu)?

Accuracy

  • Does the author cite reliable sources for his or her facts?
  • How does the information compare with that in other works written about this topic?

Authority

  • What are the author's qualifications for writing on this subject?
  • Is he or she connected with an organization that has an established reputation?

Currency

  • Does the web site include a publication date or "last updated" date?
  • Is the information provided recent? Or is it from the time period you are researching?

Objectivity

  • Is the author affiliated with a particular organization that might have a bias?