Please note: This image is not the product of Georgia Southern University. Courtesy of Oakland University Libraries
Yes! You won't be abandoning Web sources completely, but you will need to know WHEN it is appropriate to use Web Sources. This will depend on a variety of factors, but mainly on the assignment perimeters and the type of information you are trying to find. It's important to know WHAT you are looking at when you search the web, because you are going to find a ton of information. Understanding the Information Cycle will help, and also knowing how to critically evaluate these sources will be vital. The CRAAP Test will become your best friend as you try to navigate the multitude of information on the internet!
*Remember, if you ever have any doubts about a source, ASK your Professor BEFORE using it!
Differentiating between scholarly & non-scholarly/popular information
Scholarly information can be described as information by and for scholars or academic audiences. Scholarly information is peer-reviewed, a process by which other scholars fact check the work to ensure accuracy. Popular or non-scholarly information, on the other hand, does is not peer-reviewed, nor is it written by an expert/scholar of the topic being discussed.
Characteristics of non-scholarly/popular information:
Example Link: Popular
Example Link: Scholarly
