5 Academic Research and Source Evaluation Free Online FlashCards

How can you make a broad research topic easier to search?

Turn the topic into a focused question, then identify its main concepts, synonyms, related terms, and discipline-specific language.

How do a library catalog and a subject database differ?

A library catalog helps find materials held by the library; subject databases search articles and research in particular fields.

What does AND do in a database search?

AND narrows results by requiring both search concepts to appear.

How do OR and quotation marks change a search?

OR broadens results by including alternatives; quotation marks search for an exact phrase.

What five aspects should you consider when evaluating a source?

Assess relevance, authority, evidence and accuracy, purpose and perspective, and currency in relation to your research question.

What does peer review not guarantee?

Peer review is useful quality control, but it does not guarantee a study is correct, unbiased, or appropriate for your argument.

What should you inspect when evaluating a study's methods?

Check what the study examined, how it gathered evidence, and what limitations its authors acknowledge.

How can a useful article lead you to more sources?

Use references to find earlier research, and search for later works that cite the source.

How can you check an important claim found online?

Investigate the author or organization, seek independent coverage, and trace important claims to their original evidence.

When is a quotation appropriate?

A quotation reproduces exact words with quotation marks or appropriate block formatting and a citation. Quote selectively when the wording itself matters.

What makes a paraphrase, and does it need a citation?

A paraphrase restates a specific idea in genuinely new wording and sentence structure; it still requires a citation.

What is a summary of a source?

A summary condenses a larger work to its central points and cites the source.