Research and Source Quality
Research is not collecting everything that mentions a topic. It is asking a question, choosing sources deliberately and deciding how much to trust them.
From topic to question
| Topic | Researchable question | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Social media | How do notifications shape the way teenagers describe their attention? | It narrows the topic and invites evidence. |
| Local history | What did the river mean to the town before the bridge was built? | It sets a time, place and focus. |
| Film sound | How does silence change the audience's sense of danger in a horror scene? | It connects a technique to an effect. |
| Sustainability | Which changes to school waste had the largest effect, and why? | It invites comparison and explanation. |
Types of source
- Primary: a text, image, interview or document produced at the time or by the person involved.
- Secondary: an interpretation, summary or analysis of primary material.
- Tertiary: a reference work that summarises other sources.
- Popular: a source written for a general audience, often engaging but not always detailed.
- Scholarly: a source written by a specialist, usually with evidence and references.
- User-generated: content created by members of the public, with variable reliability.
Five tests of credibility
| Test | Question | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | When was it published or updated? | Old information presented as current. |
| Authority | Who wrote it, and what expertise do they have? | No author, no evidence, no organisation. |
| Accuracy | Can the claims be checked against other sources? | No references, obvious errors, exaggerated claims. |
| Purpose | Why was it made? Who benefits? | Advertising, advocacy or outrage disguised as information. |
| Evidence | What supports the claim? | Opinion presented as fact, anonymous claims. |
Read laterally
Do not judge a source only by how it looks. Open another tab and check what other sources say about the author, organisation or claim. A professional-looking website can still be unreliable. Lateral reading is often faster and more accurate than inspecting a single page for clues.
Note-making
- Write the question at the top of the page.
- Record the source before taking notes.
- Use your own words; keep direct quotations short and marked.
- Separate fact, interpretation and your own response.
- Note what the source does not answer.
Attribution
Record the author, title, publisher or site, date and URL or page number. If you use an image, record its creator and licence. Attribution is not a decoration at the end; it is part of research honesty.
A source is evidence, not a verdict. Even a reliable source can be wrong, biased or incomplete. Compare before you conclude.