Unique & Reliable Sources For Thesis
Unique and reliable sources can be defined as sources on which one can trust. These are the sources that are competent and are not biased in the field of interest and related topic. Reliable sources are helpful and are needed in completing the tasks and assignments. These resources provide accurate information on which one can easily depend upon. While doing an assignment or task one should always ensure that the information is taken from a reliable source. The sources are called reliable as these are written by people who are expert in their area. There are many sources through which an individual can find reliable and unique information. They are:
BooksBooks are one of the best sources which provide credible information on any topic. Books generally cover all virtual topics and facts. In books, all the information can be synthesised in one topic that will support an argument or a thesis. Books can be found in various school libraries, college libraries, public libraries, on Google books. A librarian can also help in identifying the book which will be helpful in getting information on the related topic. A book allows one to gather a lot of information on a topic. It helps in the relating topic with other important related issues. Books aids in getting all the historical information. Examples of books are B. F Skinner. Sciences and Human Behaviour 1953, Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society 1990.
Academic JournalsJournal can be defined as a collection of articles that are written by academic and professional scholars who are expert in their area. Journals provide a cutting edge to the research done on the topic. A good journal will help in getting the information which is well grounded and is more professional. A journal includes very specific information on the topic. There are many ways an individual can get access to the good journals. Many universities have a subscription to a large database of the academic journals. One can also have access to the Google Scholar and Microsoft academic search. Examples of journals are Journal of communication, the international journal of business and research, Journal of American and medical association.
MagazineThe magazine can be defined as a publication that is issued periodically. It contains articles and images about various topics of popular interest which are written by journalists or scholars. Magazines cover topics related to current events, and it will help in getting popular cultural information. It is not necessary that the articles written in the magazine are written by subject matter experts. Examples of Magazines are National Geographic, People, Ebony.
WebsitesWebsites are considered as the vast source of information. Through different websites, one can have access to any kind of information that is available. The Web has an ability to quickly link to the other related sites containing the relevant information. Through websites, one can have access to the current information, information at the government level, information at the state level, information about companies. Examples of websites are Icweb.loc.gov (The Library of Congress), www.vt.edu (Virginia Tech).
EncyclopaediaIt is a book or a set of books having information on wide varieties of topic or an in-depth knowledge on a particular topic. It is a collection of information with factual entries and is written by persons who are knowledgeable and are expert in their fields. There are two types of encyclopaedias. One is general encyclopaedia which is having information on wide variety of topics. Second is subject matter encyclopaedia which is having an in-depth knowledge of a particular topic. Examples of the encyclopaedia are African- American Encyclopaedia, World Book, Gale encyclopaedia of genetic disorders.
NewspapersIt is a collection of articles on the current events. As the information in newspapers is true and is also available on a regular basis, it is one of the good sources to refer. Newspapers can be referred to get current information at international, national, local and state level. It can also be referred to find opinions of various experts and editors. Examples of newspapers are The Hindu, Times of India, New York Times.
When any assignment is prepared and research is done it is very necessary to evaluate the sources of information. If the sources of information are inaccurate or out of date, it can weaken the ideas. Authorities may question on the creditability of the information gathered and research was done. It is very important that one choose the source which is relevant, current and accurate. The credible sources will help in supporting and proving the thesis properly and correctly. There are certain guidelines that one should follow which will help in determining the relevant and appropriate source of information:
Author- Author name is a must. It is necessary to know who the author of the source is. If the material is correct, then it is very obvious that the author wants to be associated with it. So the lack of the author name can question the reliability of the source.
Date- As the information gathered should be recent, and up to date it is necessary that date, when the article is published, is mentioned on the site. The sites and articles on which date is not mentioned should not be considered for research purpose as the information can be outdated or irrelevant.
Credentials- The credentials must be mentioned as this will help in knowing the degrees associated with the author. The credentials will help in knowing the experience the author is having and his professional affiliations.
Website of URL- An individual must pay attention to the last part of the domain name which will help in determining whether the website is having any biases on the topic or not. It will also help in knowing that whether the information is published by a profit organisation or a non-profit organisation.
Thus it can be said that credibility of the information is necessary to provide accurate data and thesis on the topic. It will help in gaining the confidence of the person who has assigned the task. A unique and reliable source of information will help in providing a competitive edge to work done and will make a writing strong.