NOW You have your working hypothesis A few reasons for supporting it

1. NOW • You have your working hypothesis • A few reasons for supporting it YOU NEED TO Look for the data to • Support your reasons • Test your hypothesis BUT The question is: how to find those Data?

2. Finding useful sources

3. Understand the kinds of sources readers expect you to use • Consult primary sources for evidence • Read secondary sources to learn from other researchers • Read tertiary sources for introductory overviews

4. 1. Primary sources • Academic research is based on primary sources: original 'material' from the field one is studying, including: • books, articles and letters written by the people or in the field one is studying, • interviews with persons involved in the field, speeches

5. For research in the Humanities, primary sources are usually original "records" which were created at the time an event occurred • Such sources are the "raw material," "firsthand information" or "original thinking" relevant to an event. • They include relevant records of the event, for example letters, photographs, diaries, or speeches.

6. 2. Secondary sources • Secondary sources are accounts of events which were created well after the event occurred. • Secondary sources are based on primary sources — they are usually studies which analyze, evaluate, interpret, or criticize primary sources. • By assessing, repackaging and distributing information, secondary sources make the information more accessible. • Scholars consult secondary sources to determine what others have already reported about a particular research topic.

7. Secondary sources can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that address someone else's original research. • Secondary sources are "second-hand information," analogous to human conversation. • For example: If I tell you something, I am your primary source. If you tell someone else what I told you, you are a secondary source.

8. 3. Tertiary sources • These are sources that compile or digest other sources. • Some reference materials and textbooks are considered tertiary sources when their chief purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or other information. • Tertiary sources include dictionaries and encyclopediasor Wikipedia • Tertiary sources are not considered to be acceptable material on which to base academic research.

9. Autobiographiescorrespondencedescriptions of traveldiariesliterary worksinterviewspersonal narrativespaintings and photographs Biographiesprior books & papers on a topicliterary criticism & interpretationhistory & historical criticismpolitical analysesreviews of law and legislationessays on morals and ethicsanalyses of social policystudy and teaching material Abstractsbibliographieschronologiesclassificationsdictionaries & encyclopediasdirectoriesguidebooks and manualspopulation registersstatistics

10. Record your sources fully, accurately and appropriately • Determine your citation style “APA” http://www.apastyle.org/manual/related/sample-experiment-paper-1.pdf Record bibliographic data • Who wrote the source? • What data identify the source? • Who published the source Example: • Mather,M., & Knight, M. R. (2006). Angry faces get noticed quickly: Threat detection is not • impaired among older adults. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences, • 61B, P54–P57.

11. Search for sources systematically • Look for someone who knows something about your topic • Skim the internet • Talk to reference librarian • Browse in your reference area • Skim a few specialized reference works • Search your library catalog • Search guides to periodical literature • Browse the shelves • For advanced projects, follow bibliographic trails

12. Evaluate sources for relevance and reliability • Evaluate the relevance of sources • Does the information source answer my question or help me to understand it better? • Does the information provide evidence for my point of view? • Is the right period covered? • Is the information suitable to my level? • Tips for evaluating sources for relevance • Skim the pages for your keywords, then skim the pages on which those would occur (e-books make this very easy!) • Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your keywords. • Skim introductions, summary chapters, etc. • Skim the last chapter, especially the first and last 2-3 pages. • Read the abstract, if available. • Skim for section headings and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections. • Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

13. Evaluate the reliability of print sources • Is the author formally educated in the subject? • Does the author work for a university or research center? • Is the author a recognized scholar in the subject? • Does the author have an established history of research and writing on the subject? • How objective is this information? Who produced it? Who paid for it? Is there evidence of bias? • When was the source created, published, or last updated? • Does the source rely on recent data? If not, is it still valid for my topic? • Are the facts accurate? • Are the claims supported by specific, appropriate evidence?

14. Evaluate the reliability of online sources • What can the URL tell you? • Who wrote the page? Is he, she, or the authoring institution a qualified authority? • Is it dated? Current, timely? • Is information cited authentic? • Does the page have overall integrity and reliability as a source? • What's the bias? • Could the page or site be ironic? • If you have questions or reservations, how can you satisfy them?