Use these questions to decide if a source is credible and useful for your essay:
This step is essential when choosing the team article you’ll all work from for your essays.
A scholarly article is written by experts for an academic audience, reports original research or analysis, and is published in a peer-reviewed journal. It includes references, formal language, and a structured format.
This video will help you understand what makes an article “scholarly,” how it’s structured, and why these features matter when you’re doing research.
TIP: In library databases like Business Source Complete, you can filter results by type, such as Academic Journals/Peer Reviewed or Trade.
Source: University of Texas Libraries, Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
Peer-reviewed means that an article has been evaluated by other experts in the field before publication to ensure the research is accurate, credible, and meets academic standards.
Your topic might be very recent, like an event from last month, or something that hasn’t been studied academically yet, such as pop culture or sports. If you’re stuck, ask a librarian—we’re here to help!
A primary source is firsthand evidence—created during an event or by those directly involved.
In academic work, these sources (like diaries, interviews, photos, or data) let you analyze and interpret information at its origin.
Based on the work of Mike Caulfield, Washington State University.
Always check who made a source and why. A Nobel Prize economist? Useful to know. A video from the dairy industry? Also important context.
Fact-checkers don’t just stay on one page — they read laterally, jumping to other sites to see what’s being said and piecing together the bigger picture.
📺 Watch this 2:44 video to see lateral reading in action (hint: Wikipedia is a great shortcut!)
Things online often lose their context. A short video clip, a cropped photo, or a headline about research may not tell the whole story — and sometimes it’s misleading on purpose.
To be sure, trace what you see back to the original source and check if it was reported accurately.
📺 Watch this 1:33 video on re-reporting vs. original sources (and how to go “upstream” to check).