THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT
INFORMATION: “GOOD” AND
“BAD” SOURCE TYPES
Kevin Klipfel, Information Literacy Coordinator, California State University, Chico.
kklipfel@csuchico.edu
Thinking Critically about Source Types
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Is this a “good” source? – Bad question.
Is this the best source for my current purpose(s)? –
Great question.
Different types of information serve different
purposes.
So, the best resource for you to use really depends
on what you’re looking for and where you’re at in the
research process.
Information Context: What is my
purpose?
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When thinking about which type of source it’s best
for you to use at a given time, ask yourself: What
am I trying to do right now?
 Build
my background knowledge on a particular topic I
don’t know a whole lot about?
 Narrow down the scope of my topic?
 Define what is meant by a particular term?
 Provide evidence/support for something I just said in my
paper?
 Argue for a more abstract, philosophical point?
Using Sources is a Process
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It’s best to think of using sources as a process: a common
beginning research mistake is to jump in to the research
process at too specific a point too far down the line.
For example: if you don’t know too much about your
topic, it can be hard to start the research process with a
peer-reviewed, scholarly article: the source will be
technical, narrowly focused, and not the best source for
your current purpose (building background knowledge).
In order to better see which type of source you should
use when, it’s worth getting clear about how information
used in research tends to be packaged.
Ways Knowledge is Packaged
Knowledge Packaging: Encyclopedias
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Encyclopedias contain the most general kind of
knowledge.
You can use them to:
 Get
started with your research.
 Build background knowledge by getting an overview of
a topic.
 Narrow your research question (by seeing the ways the
encyclopedia divides up a subject).
 Understand scholarly language related to your topic.
Knowledge Packaging: Books
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Books will contain information that is general, but still
more specific than an encyclopedia.
You can use them to:
Build background knowledge or in-depth understanding of a
specific issue.
 Understand the scholarly or popular issues pertaining to a
topic.
 Provide evidence for the claims you make in your paper.
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Note: You do not need to read an entire book to use it in your
research! Sometimes just a part of the book, e.g., a particular
chapter, will give you the information you need.
Knowledge Packaging: “Popular”
Articles
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Popular articles will be much more specific than
encyclopedias or books. They will be aimed to entertain
an audience; thus, they will be written in clear,
understandable language.
You can use them to:
Build background knowledge on your topic.
 Find scholarly articles about recent scientific breakthroughs
(e.g., The New York Times Science Section).
 Build an argument in your paper and cite them as evidence
for your claims.
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Knowledge Packaging: “Scholarly”
Articles
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Scholarly articles will be the most narrowly focused type
of source: they’ll usually provide a high level of detail
about an issue that’s very narrow in scope.
You can use them to:
Cite in your paper when you build an argument. They are the
best kind of evidence to use as support for the claims that
you make.
 Gain the best and most current understanding of your topic.
 Understand future research directions related to your topic.
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Some Rules of Thumb
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Encyclopedias:
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Popular Sources:
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Good to use when you’re trying to get a broad overview of a topic and figure
out the terms scholars use in the scholarly literature, especially at the beginning
of the research process. Not a bad source to use as a citation in you’re paper if
you want to define a term.
Good for building background knowledge about your topic, especially for
recent scientific breakthroughs (e.g., The New York Times Science Section) in
fairly easy-to-understand language. Also a good way to find more “scholarly”
studies. May want to cite sparingly in your research (preferring, instead, to
directly cite the scholarly articles on which the popular source is based).
Scholarly Sources:
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The best kinds of sources to use as evidence in your paper, since they’re the most
“reliable” and trusted kinds of sources. Can be a difficult place to start your
research (because they’re written in complicated language) but, once you build
your knowledge of a topic, it’s where you want to end up.
Information Context: Remember your
Purpose
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When thinking about which type of source it’s best for
you to use at a given time, ask yourself: What am I
trying to do right now?
Build my background knowledge on a particular topic I don’t
know a whole lot about?
 Narrow down the scope of my topic?
 Define what is meant by a particular term?
 Provide evidence/support for something I just said in my
paper?
 Argue for a more abstract, philosophical point?
Given your new understanding, when doing research you can
now ask yourself: which source-type would best help me
accomplish my purpose at this stage of my research?
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Contact a Librarian
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And if you’re having any trouble, don’t forget to
contact a librarian: we’re more than happy to help!
For questions about this module, or how to incorporate this module into specific courses, contact:
Kevin Klipfel, Information Literacy Coordinator, California State University, Chico. Contact: kklipfel@csuchico.edu