Finding Sources.

Finding sources involves careful search queries and evaluating the literature for relevant and reliable information (1). A strong first step towards conducting a successful search is to meet with a reference librarian at the BU Alumni Medical Library. The librarians have valuable insight on how to conduct efficient keyword searches and can direct you to appropriate databases for your topic.

In addition to helpful reference librarians, the BU Alumni Medical Library provides BUSPH students with access to popular public health databases and journals. Students frequently use the following databases when beginning literature searches:

  • Pub Med – the premier source for biomedical information. For more information on searching PubMed, watch this tutorial or participate on the online training.
  • Web of Science – another excellent source for multi-disciplinary scientific information. For more information on using Web of Science, watch this tutorial.
  • Google Scholar – a great search engine for finding grey literature.
  • BUSPH Portal – produced by the librarians, this website contains a collection of subject guides containing related books, ebooks, databases, e-journals, and websites.

Evaluating Relevance, Quality, and Credibility

Once you have a list of sources to review, you should assess them for their relevance to your paper, the quality of information, and the credibility of the source. To quickly check for relevance, read the article’s abstract. If you are still unsure, skim the introduction, conclusion, and section headings. Check for key words related to your topic. The quality and credibility of an article can be assessed by asking critical questions about the article (1,2). These questions include:

  • By whom is the piece written, and what is their institutional affiliation?
  • Is it published by a peer-reviewed journal or well-reputed press?
  • Is it up-to-date or timely?
  • Does it include references?
  • Is it frequently cited or influential?
  • Is the author well-known in the field?

Thinking critically about a source’s legitimacy can help you collect quality resources (1) as well as support your arguments (2).

References

  1. Booth W, Colomb G, Williams J. The craft of research. 3rd ed. United States of America: University of Chicago Press; 2008.
  2. Evaluating the Credibility of Your Sources [Internet]. Columbia College. [cited 2015 Jun 24]. Available from: https://www.college.columbia.edu/academics/integrity-sourcecredibility